Shadow
by Simply Kelp
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.
1. Smoking

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto… merde.  
A/N: Yay, first fic posted for Naruto! I have a few ideas, and outlines that I am trying _desperately_ to cajole into stories, but we'll see how that goes…  
A/N2: I'm not sure _why_, but I think these two would make a darling pair…

---

Smoking

---

Shikamaru reached for the pack of cigarettes in his vest pocket as he walked down the main street. He paused when he heard someone coughing loudly; it almost sounded like they were dying. Frowning, Shikamaru set the cigarettes back in his pocket, and went to inspect the noise.

He found Konohamaru leaning against the wall of Ichiraku's, cigarette in hand. He had stopped coughing, but was now gasping, and sputtering for breath. He looked over at Shikamaru, and determinedly looked away, taking another dreg of his cigarette.

"What are you doing?" Shikamaru asked. He frowned slightly; why had he asked that? He didn't care.

Konohamaru coughed violently. "Smoking," he spat between wheezes.

Shikamaru's frown grew. "Cut it out," he muttered, watching the trail of smoke wafting from the end of the cigarette.

"Why?" Konohamaru coughed stubbornly.

Shikamaru looked away. "You'll kill yourself."

"So will you," Konohamaru insisted hoarsely. He tried to stand up straight, but a brutal cough sent him back into the wall.

With a sigh, Shikamaru turned to leave. "Troublesome," he muttered. Let the stupid kid die.

A sound from behind made Shikamaru pause. "I… I know why you do it…" Konohamaru mumbled quietly. Shikamaru didn't turn around, but he didn't leave. Konohamaru continued, "it reminds you of him, right? I miss him too."

Shikamaru frowned. "What are you talking about," he whispered. He had not meant to whisper, but his voice had suddenly disappeared.

It seemed Konohamaru's voice had disappeared as well. "Asuma." It was said so quietly, Shikamaru almost didn't hear it.

---

That you for reading! I hope that you enjoyed that; I have the next one done, and I'll post it if I get at least one review- indulge me.


	2. Shogi

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: I want to thank aa for the review (and subsequent boost to my self-esteem). These are all going to be rahter short; they are more like assorted snapshots than an actual story...

---

Shogi

---

With the Chuunin Exams coming up soon, Team Ebisu had been training harder than ever. On Saturdays, even. Today Konohamaru, and Udon had managed to convince Ebisu to let them out early. Udon had restrained, and silenced Moegi- who wanted to continue into the middle of the night-, while Konohamaru had used his charming, and persuasive speech skills to plead shamelessly for their freedom.

Konohamaru wandered from the training grounds to the adjacent park. His mother wasn't expecting him home until seven; that left three hours that he could do... something. Anything would be better than doing chores. As he looked for a good spot to nap, a lone figure caught Konohamaru's attention.

Shikamaru was sitting on the grass, glaring at a shogi board. Konohamaru remembered once watching him, and Asuma playing shogi; it was really boring.

As Konohamaru approached, Shikamaru sighed. "I wish I could find someone to play shogi with," he muttered. Konohamaru didn't think that Shikamaru was talking to him, but he inched closer all the same.

Even with Konohamaru casting a big shadow over Shikamaru, the other boy continued staring resolutely at the game board. "The Old Man played," Konohamaru said. "He tried to teach me, but I'm not very good."

Finally Shikamaru looked up. His expression was impassive. "I'm tired of playing my dad; we're too alike," he explained, though Konohamaru got the impression that he was still talking to the empty space around Konohamaru's ankles.

"You could always teach me," Konohamaru suggested, trying not to sound too hopeful.

Shikamaru sighed. "That would be too troublesome."

With a frown, Konohamaru left. Making sure he was an adequate distance from Shikamaru, Konohamaru flung himself onto the grass. He closed his eyes, willing himself to fall asleep. He didn't want to play shogi anyway.

---

Poor Konohamaru-kun, how he suffers. Thank you so much for reading, and I would really, really, _really_ love it if you reviewed!


	3. Happy

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto… merde.  
A/N: Why is Konohamaru-kun being so very angsty?

---

Happy

---

Most days, Konohamaru liked going to Ichiraku's more than anything. Today, however was not one of those days. Naruto nii-chan was on a mission, Moegi had cajoled Udon into helping her train, and to make it worse: there was a disgustingly cute couple sitting right next to him. He didn't have much of an appetite anymore.

"Konohamaru-kun, you haven't finished your first bowl; is everything alright?" Ayame asked, fixing him with a pointed stare.

Konohamaru laughed nervously; it felt like she was trying to determine if he was spoiled. "Ah… yeah, I'm fine," he told her. She shrugged, and went back to work.

He frowned slightly at Ino, and Choji as he left. Outside, Konohamaru noticed Shikamaru standing across the street. He was smoking, as always, and glaring over at Ichiraku's.

Konohamaru walked over, and stood next to Shikamaru. "Hi," he said quietly.

Shikamaru jumped slightly, but didn't look over at Konohamaru.

Konohamaru looked over at Ichiraku's, he could see Choji, and Ino from behind the signs. "They look happy," he said.

"You think?" Shikamaru muttered; it startled Konohamaru.

He was used to having one-sided conversations with Shikamaru; it was unusual for him to talk back. "Yeah," he said stupidly.

"Now that they're dating," Shikamaru said. He paused to take a puff off his cigarrette. "Choji hasn't had time for cloud watching."

"You could always invite someone else," Konohamaru suggested.

"Hm." Shikamaru tossed his cigarette on the ground, and stamped it out. He turned, and walked away.

Konohamaru continued watching Ino, and Choji. They were happy; he wasn't, and neither was Shikamaru. But, Konohamaru thought, ninjas weren't supposed to be happy.

---

Yay, wrote another one! I hope you enjoyed it, and I would just love to hear what you thought!


	4. Surprise

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: I'm sorry that it has taken so dreadfully long to update. I am taking 20 credits-- which, I realise now, was quite stupid of me--, while volunteering at church, and working part time. I've had very little time of late to indulge in writing anything that is not an essay-- though those are quite fun! (especially to see the look on your teacher's face when you hand him an essay written in verse-- 43 stanzas long-- on the American political system; ^_^' )

---

Surprise

---

Shikamaru didn't like surprises; especially ones involving pesky genin. So when he opened his front door after returning from a rough mission, and nearly bumped into Konohamaru, he was surprised, and more than a little annoyed. "What are you doing at my house?" he demanded, perhaps a bit too harshly.

Konohamaru flashed Shikamaru a roguish grin, and stepped out of his way. "I was talking with Shikaku-sensei," the genin declared matter-of-factly. With a nod, the kid left Shikamaru standing bewildered in the doorway.

Shikamaru frowned. Shikaku-sensei? "Okay. Dad, what are you doing with the pipsqueak?" he called, finally entering the house. His father was in the front room, reading. "And why is he calling you sensei?" he added as an afterthought.

His father shrugged. "I don't know," he said, eyes still fixed on the report in his hands, "kids are troublesome like that."

"I'll say," Shikamaru mumbled as he walked to his bedroom. He was too tired to think about the kid, and right now all he wanted to do was sleep.

---

Thank you so very much for reading this! I would love to hear what you thought; and once again, I apologise for the lateness of it!


	5. Shogi two

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: Lucky Konohamaru-kun! His persistence is paying off.

---

Shogi (two)

---

By now, Shikamaru was used to Konohamaru invading his cloud watching. He didn't like it, but he tolerated it. So when he closed his eyes, and let his mind wander, he expected to be accosted in some unpleasant manner.

Sometime afterward-- Shikamaru wasnt sure how long--, he felt something pounce on him. Opening his eyes, Shikamaru saw a flash of blue, and a large grin.

"Wha-?" he managed. He would have continued, but the creature had knocked the wind out of him.

It's grin grew wider. "You. Me. Shogi. Now." Konohamaru announced, clambering off of Shikamaru. He had brought shogi set with him, and had already meticulously set it up. Upon seeing it, Shikamaru frowned; it seemed odd to think of the perfectly set board as a result of such a squirrelly kid.

"I..." Shikamaru tried to think of a reason to abstain. None came; and he really _had_ been wanting to play lately. "Sure," he shrugged.

Konohamaru smiled appreciatively, and crawled to the opposite side of the board. Shikamaru was reminded of a puppy: squirming, and wiggling with enthusiasm. Was it really _that_ exciting? "So is this what you were doing with my dad?" he asked, moving his first piece.

Konohamaru nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah. He told me all of your weaknesses." After a moment, he chuckled, and added, "He also talked about how not-scary women are, but your mom interrupted him to yell at us, so…"

Despite himself, Shikamaru smiled.

---

Thanks for reading; I would love to hear what you thought!


	6. Appreciation

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: Is Shikamaru-kun really this brainless? Sorry it's so short, I tried to lengthen it, but the boys were being a pain…  
A/N2: I guess I didn't look this over closely; I found a grammatical error!

---

Appreciation

---

"Anything interesting happen today?" Shikamaru's father asked nonchalantly at dinner that night.

Shikamaru frowned. "Konohamaru-kun challenged me to shogi," he said.

"How'd he do?" His father asked, trying to sound uninterested.

Shikamaru snickered. "Bad." To be honest, Konohamaru had been beyond bad; he had been horrible. He was impatient, and thoughtless. Shikamaru had to constantly explain the messes Konohamaru had gotten himself into.

His father shrugged. "Not entirely unexpected."

Several minutes later, Shikamaru spoke again, "Hey dad."

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

His father fixed him with a penetrating stare. "It wasn't my idea."

---

Will Shikamaru ever learn? Thanks again for reading these; if you have time, I'd like to hear what you think!


	7. Clouds

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: I think Konohamaru-kun might have ADD...

---

Clouds

---

Shikamaru was lying on his back in the middle of the park; watching clouds, Konohamaru figured.

"Do you mind if I join you?" he asked sitting in the grass next to Shikamaru.

Shikamaru chuckled quietly. "Would you listen if I said 'yes'?" he asked, fixing Konohamaru with a mock-serious look.

Konohamaru pretended to ponder the question for a few seconds. "No," he said finally, trying to match the seriousness of Shikamaru's gaze.

With their exchange finished, Shikamaru's eyes returned to their important business of cataloguing all of the clouds that passed over Konoha.

After several minutes of silence-- in which Konohamaru had ripped up a few handfuls of grass, stared blankly at the sky, watched his shoes, played with his scarf, and did a number of things equally inconsequential--, Konohamaru spoke again. "So, you just sit... and watch clouds?" he asked.

Shikamaru shrugged. "Yeah."

Konohamaru looked over at the other boy. "Don't you get bored?" He asked seriously. He had never had much in the way of an attention span; like Naruto nii-chan.

Shikamaru shrugged again. He closed his eyes. "Choji usually talks when he comes, and sometimes I fall asleep."

Konohamaru flopped back onto the grass. "Cool," he murmured, closing his eyes as well. He could get used to this.

---

Aw, how cutes! Thanks for reading; reviews make me happy! (so do semicolons, if you haven't noticed...)


	8. Shirking

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: Yay, five in one day! Let's hope Konohamaru-kun survives this one...

---

Shirking

---

As Shikamaru, and Konohamaru left Ichiraku's-- they had not gone there together, Shikamaru felt the need to explain, but had happened to go in at the same time (sometimes Shikamaru got the impression Konohamaru stalked him a bit)-- they were met with a terrifying sight. Moegi, was glaring at Konohamaru with so much force, Shikamaru was surprised the boy was not dead already.

Konohamaru laughed nervously. "O, uh, hi Moeg," he murmured, looking penitently at his shoes.

"'Hi'?" Moegi almost shrieked. Her voice was breathy, and nearly hysterical. Shikamaru was reminded of the time Ino fell into a puddle of swamp sludge on one of their missions (he inwardly smirked remembering how her hair stayed green for a few days). "The Chunin exams are in two weeks," Moegi continued, "and the best you can come up with is 'hi'? Not 'sorry I was an idiot, and missed practise _again,_' or 'I promise, Moegi-chan, it will never happen again,' but '_hi_'?" She was panting now, though, if anything, her glare had grown fiercer.

Konohamaru flashed the girl what he must have thought was a winning smile. "...eh..." he managed before she punched him in the stomach. Konohamaru doubled over, managing a pathetic, "...ow..." Moegi looked somewhat pleased.

"Troublesome..." Shikamaru found himself murmuring.

Moegi turned to face him. Shikamaru was quite a bit taller, so she had to strain her neck to glare directly into his eyes. Somehow, it didn't detract from her frightening demeanour. "_what?"_ she asked severely.

"Nothing."

By now Konohamaru had regained his breath, and was apologising quickly, and profusely to the girl. Poor kid, Shikamaru thought as he left them. After all, it was merely coincidence that they left at the same time; they were not friends.

---

Thank you so much for reading these; I hope to write more soon. As always, I would just love to hear from you!


	9. Hurt

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto… merde.  
A/N: Now it's time for Shikamaru to suffer! Inspired by a comment from claymade.  
A/N2: If anyone has any ideas they'd like to see, I've finished all of my planned escapades for the boys, and am just doing anything that catches my attention.

---

Hurt

---

As Shikamaru was lying in his favourite spot for cloud watching. He lit a cigarette, and let his eyes drift close, mind wandering. A while later-- he was too lazy to figure how long it had been--, Shikamaru felt someone sit down next to him.

"So I see Moegi didn't kill you," he said amusedly.

"Huh?" the person said; it wasn't Konohamaru. Shikamaru opened his eyes to see Choji staring down at him.

Realising he ought to say something, Shikamaru managed an awkward "hi."

"Hi," Choji returned. They were silent for several long moments. During this time, Shikamaru looked resolutely at the clouds drifting over Konoha, and tried to pretend that Choji wasn't there; it didn't work.

"So," Choji said, finally breaking the silence. "What have you been up to lately?" It was awkward, and stilted; had Shikamaru been paying more attention he might have heard a bit of guilt in the question.

Shikamaru shrugged, taking a long dreg of his cigarette to postpone his answer. "Nothing; you?"

Choji laughed nervously. "Oh, not much; I've been spending a bit more time with Ino."

"I've noticed." Shikamaru tried to keep the sourness out of his voice, but he probably failed.

"Wha-? Oh, yeah." Choji managed another nervous chuckle. "We actually have a lot more in common than either of us thought," he explained.

Shikamaru glared at one particular cloud that kind of looked like Konohamaru's hair if he squinted his eyes just right. "That's nice," he said tonelessly.

Choji coughed slightly, and continued. "Ino has this friend; she thought it would be fun if we went on a double-date some time."

"I'm busy," Shikamaru said automatically. He realised afterward that Choji hadn't said a time.

"Oh."

Shikamaru stood, tossing his cigarette to the ground. "I've got to go," he muttered stamping it out as he left. He didn't dare look back, and see the hurt look that he knew would be on Choji's face.

Shikamaru was being stupid; he knew that. He also knew that they weren't going to be eleven forever; eventually they would start dating, and spend less time together. But what he didn't know was that it would hurt so much.

---

Poor Shikamaru; I'm thinking Choji's the reason he's been so hesitant to get along with Konohamaru... I hope you like this, and please review if you have time!


	10. Sleeping

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: The most amazing-est thing happened today! I saw my car's doppelgä nger! Normally this wouldn't be _too_ exciting, but my car is a purple Mercury Tracer; I've never seen a second one before today! It was so cool!!! Ahem, anyway, hope you enjoy the fic.

---

Sleeping

---

"I think she likes me," Konohamaru said definitively. "Moegi, I mean," he added to clarify. They were watching clouds again; or rather Shikamaru was watching clouds, while Konohamaru let his mind wander. Konohamaru had gotten off practice a short while ago; he closed his eyes, and tried to ignore the ache in his muscles.

Shikamaru didn't respond; he hadn't expected him to.

"The thing is: she kind of scares me," Konohamaru continued. He didn't quite mind Shikamaru's silence. He was more thinking aloud than anything. "Today during practice, she hinted that she wanted to go out-- what does that even mean? Where would we go?"

Shikamaru remained silent.

Konohamaru folded his arms over his chest petulantly. "Are you just going to ignore me? I'm in deep emotional turmoil." He opened his eyes, and looked over to Shikamaru. The other boy's eyes were closed. "Are you asleep?"

Shikamaru's silence was enough of a response. Konohamaru sighed, and began tugging at the loose string on his scarf. That gave him an idea! Gingerly, Konohamaru rose to a sitting position, and raised his scarf directly above the Shikamaru's head. He lowered it until the loose string tickled at the sleeping boy's nose.

Shikamaru twitched. This could be fun.

---

Kind of silly, but I just wanted to have Konohamaru say 'I'm in deep emotional turmoil'... Hope you liked it; as always, I would love to hear what you thought!


	11. Substitute

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: I wish I were this motivated to work on my Avatar story!

---

Substitute

---

They were in Sunagakure now for the Chunin exams. All of team Ebisu had made it to the third task; Konohamaru barely scraped by the written exam-- thank goodness Moegi was sitting next to him, and seemed to have trouble keeping her answers to herself.

They were given a day to rest for the third task, and Konohamaru had convinced Udon to go cloud watching with him. Lying on his back, Konohamaru closed his eyes, and let the sun's rays nearly roast him.

"That one kind of looks like a rabbit," Udon declared. His voice had become more nasally; the sand, and sun were not agreeing with him at all.

Konohamaru opened one eye to peer over at Udon, and gave a great sigh. "You're doing it wrong," he said as gently as possible. "You aren't supposed to _talk_ about the clouds; you just sit there."

"But where's the fun in that?"

Konohamaru closed his eyes again, and shrugged. "It's an outlet: you just close your eyes, and let your mind wander, while his does the same. Sometimes you'll say something if it seems really important, but mostly you just stay quiet, and let your brains wander the universe together."

Konohamaru felt Udon's eyes on him, but he resisted the urge to look. "Konohamaru-kun, that's kind of creepy."

Konohamaru let out a frustrated growl. "I knew I shouldn't have asked you!" he declared, clambering to his feet, and walking away.

As he left, Konohamaru heard Udon call delightedly, "That one looks like Moegi-- with a beard!" It had been stupid of him to expect Udon to understand the complexities of cloud watching.

---

Udon's being weird again; a bit of an (unintentional?) introspection on Konohamaru, and Shikamaru's friendship, though... Hope you liked it; reviews are like cheesecake (i.e. very, very good)!


	12. Missing

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: Silly Shikamaru; he's so oblivious.

---

Missing

---

Lying on the rooftop, Shikamaru closed his eyes, and thought about his week. Chunin exams were this week; they were all the way in Sungakure. That meant an entire week to himself, with no Konohamaru.

He had gone to Ichiraku's; Konohamaru wasn't there. He was enjoying the solitude of a meal alone, but then Naruto showed up, and began talking _non-stop_ about how he was going to rescue 'that stupid Uchiha bastard', and finally go on a date with Sakura. Shikamaru had wondered how Naruto was able to talk constantly while simultaneously shovelling food into his mouth.

He played shogi a bit; Konohamaru wasn't there. He found himself purposely making rash decisions, and letting the pieces fly over the board before he even looked. When trapped, he would explain to himself how he got into such big messes.

He watched clouds a lot; Konohamaru wasn't there. He found himself thinking aloud just to break the deafening silence.

The week had passed very slowly; Konohamaru wasn't there. Could it be, he thought-- in his head this time, because he did not want any passers by to hear--, could it be that he _missed_ Konohamaru?

He left the question unanswered. It was Sunday; they would be home soon.

---

O noes! Shikamaru, can it be you're making a friend?! Please review if you have time!


	13. Shogi three

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: Now with more Moegi!

---

Shogi (three)

---

With cloud watching successfully ruined by Udon, Konohamaru had decided to look for someone to play shogi with him. 'Come on, Moeg,' he said, trying to be as charming as possible, 'it'll be fun.' Reluctantly-- 'but I need to train!' she claimed--, she agreed.

"Did I just win?" Moegi asked innocently as she looked at the shogi board between them.

Konohamaru muttered an indistinct, "yeah." She had cornered his king without him even noticing! When he first started playing shogi, he was terrible-- he _still was_ terrible, a voice in his head reminded himself. He glared at his shoes. Stupid Moegi with her stupid smartness.

Moegi giggled-- evilly, his mind added. "In your face Konohamaru-kun!" She said, laughing at him.

Konohamaru frowned, and crossed his arms over his chest. "I was just being nice."

"Whatever, Konohamaru-kun; I kicked your butt, and you know it!" At least when Shikamaru creamed him, he had the decency not to gloat.

---

Poor Konohamaru-kun, will he ever win at shogi? Maybe if he plays against Naruto! ^_^ And how many shogi episodes will there be?! O_O' I hope that you liked it, even though it was really short. I would love to hear what you thought of it!


	14. Favour

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: Konohamaru's being a bit cranky; I'm surprised Temari's putting up with him. The idea for Temari invading Konohamaru's cloud watching is from claymade.

---

Favour

---

The Chunin exams were exciting business in Sunagakure. It was the first exam since Temari had been given her genin squad. She was pleased to see that two of them had made it to the final event.

As she was leaving the training ground, Temari noticed a kid, leaning against the adjacent building, staring into the sky. "You're lucky it doesn't rain in Suna; you could drown, always looking up like that." Temari gave the kid a sly smile. "I had a friend who always looked at the clouds. He was from Konoha too; Shikamaru-- have you heard of him?"

The kid shrugged, "yeah." He seemed to be holding something back.

Temari leaned against the wall next to him, and looked at the sky. She had never been one for cloud watching; it was too sedentary. "You talk to him much?" She asked casually.

The kid shrugged again. "A bit," he said indifferently. He sounded unhappy.

Time to change the subject. "Are you excited for the final event?" Temari asked. She remembered him from the preliminaries: he was good, if a little mischievous. He had taken out one of her genin with his sexy-jutsu (which had, incidentally, reduced the majority of the male judges to simpering pools of mush). She wished that she could remember his name.

The kid cracked a smile. "I'll make chunin no sweat," he said confidently. She smiled.

"I wouldn't brag if I were you; Sand shinobi are notoriously competitive."

He laughed. "Please! I've been saving my secret weapon for the final rounds." Temari raised an eyebrow. The kid leaned in, conspiringly. "It's going to be so cool!" he whispered excitedly.

"Can I ask you a favour?" Temari asked suddenly. She hadn't planned to say that, but the words came out of their own accord. The kid looked at her as if she might ask something unreasonable. "Tell Shikamaru that Temari says 'hi'."

The kid nodded seriously. "Sure!" He looked much happier than when she first saw him.

As she left, Temari looked heavenward, wondering what could possibly be so interesting up there.

---

Uh oh, what's Konohamaru-kun's secret weapon? Thanks for reading, and please review!


	15. Home

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: Kotetsu, and Izumo make a guest appearance... barely... I'm thinking of having them make another guest appearance in the future...

---

Home

---

Finally, finally, _finally!_ After one whole week away from Konoha, Konohamaru could see the city gates. He winked at the others, and took off running for the gate. He thought he heard Moegi call him an idiot, but that might have been the wind whistling in his ears.

When he entered the city, Konohamaru had to stop quickly before running straight into Shikamaru, who had been talking with Kotetsu, and Izumo-- a fact that Shikamaru did not look overly pleased about. Konohamaru managed to slow himself down before a collision, and beamed up at Shikamaru.

"Hey, guess who made chunin?" He asked excitedly.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "Moegi?" He asked.

Konohamaru frowned. "No-- well, she did, but..."

"Udon?"

"No."

Shikamaru smiled. "I don't know; _you_ certainly couldn't have," he began.

"I could, and I _did!"_ Konohamaru said fiercely. He smiled at the memory. "I made two shadow clones, and used Double Knock-Out Guys on my girl; she was so distracted by my clones that she didn't see me come up behind her, and disable her-- even Temari-san was drooling! It was so cool!"

Shikamaru gave him a weird, faraway look. "Temari?" he asked.

Konohamaru shrugged. "Yeah, she told me to say 'hi' for her."

"Oh."

Konhamaru grinned mischievously. "So... were you waiting for me? Did you _miss_ me?" He asked fixing Shikamaru with his best serious look.

Shikamaru shook his head. "No; Tsunade-sama sent me to deliver a message to Kotetsu, and Izumo." Konohamaru couldn't help his face from falling a bit. Shikamaru smiled slightly. "But I _may_ have agreed to take it so that I could see how the Chunin exams went."

Konohamaru beamed.

---

That's probably as close to a confession that Shikamaru will get. Hope that you liked it, and please review!


	16. Shogi four

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: _Another_ shogi episode! This time with Naruto; thanks to claymade for the ending.

---

Shogi (four)

---

It was three o'clock when Shikamaru found himself entering the park. It had become a sort of routine: he, and Konohamaru would both happen to go there at the same time. Sometimes they would watch clouds, and occasionally they would play shogi-- though that usually ended with Shikamaru slightly annoyed, and Konohamaru very confused. It was a habit, and Shikamaru was far too lazy to break those; so he continued coming.

When he reached their unconsciously agreed upon spot, Shikamaru found that Konohamaru was not alone; Naruto was there. They were playing shogi. Konohamaru was glaring at the game board as if he were expecting it to give him advice, while Naruto was cursing, and sweating from the strain.

"What are you guys doing?" Shikamaru asked, sitting next to them.

Konohamaru moved his rook. "I'm teaching Naruto-niichan how to play shogi," he told Shikamaru excitedly.

Naruto bit his lip, and moved his king out of danger. "I'm gonna kick your ass!" he declared viciously.

"Yeah right!" Konohamaru laughed. "I've been playing longer, _and_ I've had instruction from Shikaku-sensei, one of the best shogi players in Konoha." He moved his rook again so that it checked Naruto's king.

Shikamaru looked, for the first time the game board. He sighed. "You both _do_ realise that you've reached stalemate; you could go on for hours without either of you winning."

"I'm not gonna give up!" Naruto declared moving his king again.

Konhamaru pushed his rook forward a space. "Neither will I!"

Shikamaru flung himself onto the grass, and lit a cigarette. He closed his eyes; this could take a while.

---

Will they ever learn? At least Shikamaru can get a nice nap... Thanks for reading, and I'd be much obliged if you reviewed!


	17. Temari

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: Uh oh, Shikamaru is talking about his feelings! (I'm liking the posting in bulk; I hope I can keep it up though!)

---

Temari

---

As Konohamaru was watching one particularly slow cloud progress across the sky, a thought struck him. "So what's with you and Temari?" he asked before his mind could tell his mouth to 'shut up.'

He heard Shikamaru shift uncomfortably. "Huh?"

Konohamaru shrugged. "When I was in Suna, I talked to her a bit; she asked about you. She got this weird smile on her face when she did. And the other day, when I mentioned her, you looked like you were a million miles away."

He heard Shikamaru shrug. "Oh. I don't know," he muttered. "I guess you could say we sort of liked each other. But nothing ever came of it."

"Why not?"

Shikamaru sighed. "It was too troublesome. I liked her, but girls-- they're so high maintenance. They think you need titles, and declarations, and a bunch of stupid stuff you have to puzzle through. When I get in a relationship, I want it to be natural; I just want it to be." He shrugged. "That doesn't really make sense."

Konhamaru peered over at Shikamaru. His eyes were still closed, but he looked a bit bemused. "It sounds like you want a friend more than a girlfriend," Konohamaru replied, tugging at the loose string on his scarf.

Shikamaru shrugged. "Maybe."

---

I've noticed that there is a disproportionate amount of people reading, and not reviewing-- unless claymade is just reading each one about twenty times. While I won't demand that you review, I would really appreciate a comment. In the past, I know I've been really bad at reviewing-- even fics I really like--, so I understand why people don't review. Even if you just give some general statement like 'cool,' or 'cute,' I would like that. I'm writing these for me, but, like every author, I do need a little encouragement to make me more motivated to churn them out. Thank you so very much for reading these, and I would really appreciate it if you told me what you thought!


	18. Competition

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: Only one today; I've been working on an acrostic poem for my friend's birthday, and it has kind of consumed me...  
A/N2: Moegi's in this one, but-- unfortunately-- she's not acting crazy obsessive, or beating anyone to a pulp...

---

Competition

---

Moegi had always considered herself as being very observant; especially when Konohamaru as involved-- not that she _stalked_ him, or anything.

Konohamaru used to always talk excitedly about how cool his uncle was. When Asuma died, Konohamaru was heartbroken. After a few weeks, when life began to settle down, Moegi started noticing the glimmer of admiration in Konohamaru's eyes whenever he saw Shikamaru. It was subtle at first, his eyes would linger a bit longer as they passed each other on the street. But as time wore on, Konohamaru began following Shikamaru like a lost puppy.

Moegi couldn't help feeling a bit shafted. Before Asuma's death, it was always the three of them: Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon. Now it was Moegi, Udon, and sometimes Konohamaru-- if Shikamaru was busy, or on a mission

As Moegi headed to practice, she saw Konohamaru walking a little ways in front of her. "Hey Konohamaru-kun, race you to the training grounds!" she called, running past him.

She heard Konohamaru begin chasing after her. "You're on!"

She doesn't mind about Shikamaru, though. She likes the competition.

---

Thanks for reading; I would love to hear what you think!


	19. Fly

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: Sorry it took so long to post. Weekends, generally, suck for me because I have to work the _entire_ time!  
A/N2: Uh oh, talking about Hidan-chan!

---

Fly

---

"At times I can hear him laughing in my head." Shikamaru said suddenly. Konohamaru opened his eyes to look over at the other boy. It was getting dark, so he had to strain his eyes to see. There was no need to ask who he was talking about. "I could have stopped him," Shikamaru continued. "If I had been a moment faster, he wouldn't have needed to use 'Climbing Silver'."

Konohamaru frowned. "You can't blame yourself," he said quietly.

"That's easy for you to say; you didn't kill him."

Before he knew what he was doing, Konohamaru had risen, and sent a fist into Shikamaru's stomach. "Don't say that," he said seriously. Shikamaru looked at him wide-eyed; Konohamaru wondered vaguely if that was a result of emotion, or of getting the wind knocked out of him. "If you really killed Asuma, I would hate you for it… I don't hate you."

Shikamaru laughed bitterly; at first Konohamaru thought he was coughing. It was a strange sound, and seemed inappropriate for the moment. "You're like a fly, you know that?" Shikamaru asked. Konohamaru raised an eyebrow at him. "However many times I swat you away, you're still there." Konohamaru noticed the ghost of a smile on his lips.

"Some people would find that endearing," he claimed.

Shikamaru smirked. "I find it troublesome."

---

Kind of weird; I don't know if I'm exactly pleased with it (I combined two ideas, and I'm not sure if they mesh properly). Hope you liked it, though; as always, I appreciate reviews if you can.


	20. Shogi five

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: _Another_ shogi one!

---

Shogi (five)

---

Three o'clock had passed, and Shikamaru was nowhere to be found. Konohamaru had wondered whether it would be appropriate to go to Shikamaru's house. In the end, he decided to go. If Shikamaru was mad, he could always say that he stopped by to see Shikaku-sensei.

When he arrived, Shikamaru's mom shooed him to the back yard. There, he found both Shikamaru, and his father playing shogi. Konohamaru approached slowly. "Can I watch?" he asked tentatively

Shikamaru didn't look up from the game, but nodded. "Sure."

Konohamaru sat down, and looked at the game board. They were moving fast, but never seemed to make any mistakes! He looked over at Shikamaru. "Aren't you nervous?" he asked seriously.

"Why?" Shikamaru asked frowning. Konohamaru was unsure if the frown was directed at him, or at the game.

Konohamaru smirked. "Shikaku-sensei's going to pummel you."

Shikamaru glared; this time Konohamaru knew it was directed at him because Shikamaru looked right at him. "Thanks for having so much confidence in me..." he muttered.

Shikaku-sensei laughed.

---

Yay, more Shikaku-sensei! (even though he doesn't speak...) Thanks for reading; please review if you have time!


	21. Annoying

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: Kind of silly, but I wanted to do something with them as kids. And I like how everything Konohamaru says ends in an !

---

Annoying

---

Shikamaru had expertly managed to sneak out of his house, and away from his mother's chores. She would be mad at him when he returned home (half of him said that he would _never_ go home, and move in with Choji), but for now, he was free to do as he wished. He thought of stopping by Choji's to see if he wanted to do something; but his house was kind of far off, and there was no assurance that Choji would actually _be there_.

He sighed, and ambled down the street, not really paying attention to where he was going. This proved a poor choice when something hit him. Shikamaru nearly lost his balance from the impact; the other kid _did_ lose his balance, and tumbled to the ground.

"Watch where you're going!" the kid yelled from the ground, fixing Shikamaru with a watery glare. He began inspecting all of his limbs for injuries, and, when he found none, clambered off the ground. "You're just lucky I'm really tough-- if you'd have hurt me...!"

Shikamaru shrugged, and walked past the kid. The kid ran in front of him, and stopped; they nearly collided again. The kid crossed his little arms over his chest, and glared. "Do you know what I am?" he asked haughtily.

"Annoying?" Shikamaru suggested dispassionately.

The kid gaped. "No! I'm the Honoured Grandson!" He paused, waiting for Shikamaru to acknowledge his statement. When Shikamaru didn't, the kid continued. "My Grandpa's Hokage, and I could get you in lots of trouble for talking to me like that!"

Shikamaru shrugged, "Whatever."

"Whatever?" the kid nearly shrieked.

Luckily, the dispute was ended by a deep voice saying, "Hey, Konohamaru-kun, your mother's looking for you." Shikamaru looked over to see a very tall man smoking a cigarette, and looking amusedly down at the kid.

The kid face brightened. "Uncle Asuma! Can you beat this kid up for me? He's being mean!"

The man shrugged. "If you go home, I'll sort this out for you." The kid smiled evilly at Shikamaru, and began running away. Shikamaru watched, disinterested, as the kid's scarf fanned out behind him.

The man took a dreg of his cigarette, and looked down at Shikamaru. He smirked. "Sorry about Konohamaru-kun; he can be a bit overzealous."

Shikamaru shrugged, and walked past the man. He would look for Choji, and hopefully never see Konohamaru again.

---

Little does he know...! Thanks for reading, and I'd love to hear what you thought.


	22. Smoking two

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.

A/N: Really short, but cute all the same.

---

Smoking (two)

---

Shikamaru was waiting outside the Hokage Mansion. He took a cigarette out of his pocket, and lit it. Sakura was inside talking to Tsunade-sama. Once they finished, he and Sakura would be going on a mission-- something about escorting a politician; C-rank. Boring. Shikamaru let his eyes close, and continued smoking.

After an uneventful moment, he felt someone pull the cigarette from his mouth. "You shouldn't smoke," came Konohamaru's voice. Shikamaru opened his eyes to see the kid fixing him with a serious look; Konohamaru tossed the cigarette on the ground, and stamped it out.

"Why not?" Shikamaru said automatically.

Konohamaru smirked. "It's bad for you."

Shikamaru shrugged. "So?"

"There are better ways to remember him. Besides, you may not care if you die early." Konohamaru began tugging at the loose string on his scarf, and looked down at his shoes. "But I do."

---

Konohamaru's so cute! Thanks for reading, and I'd love to hear what you thought!


	23. Liking

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: In celebration of only one more final left (tomorrow), I'm posting more chapters for Shadow. I might not get any more out very, very soon, because I'm going to be working like a madwoman on my (more) neglected fics, and have started two new ones (-- I have no life...)!

---

Liking

---

The exchange, Konohamaru remembered, happened suddenly. He was nearly asleep-- something told him that, were it not for Ebisu's snoring, and Moegi's insistence that they should train before bed, he would have already been sleeping for several hours--, when Udon rolled over in his sleeping bag, staring at him. "Do you like Moegi-chan?" Udon asked pointedly.

Konohamaru frowned. "Of course," he said, "we've all been friends since before Academy."

Udon rolled his eyes. He sighed, like he was going to have to explain something very complex to a child. "No, I mean do you _like_-like her?" he asked, making vague hand gestures to help his point-- Konohamaru thought that was kind of useless as it was dark, and he had to squint a bit just to see Udon's face.

He raised an eyebrow. "No; she's too scary for that." Seriously? Udon was asking him if he...? Konohamaru tried to think of any time he gave that impression: nope, nothing.

"So you wouldn't mind if I liked her?" Udon asked nervously.

Konohamaru shrugged. "I can't control your feelings."

"But if I asked her on a date...?" Udon prompted, looking away.

Konohamaru shrugged again. "She'd probably say 'no.' "

"Why?"

"Girls are stupid like that. You have to trick them into thinking it was their idea; at least," Konohamaru looked up, if he stared really hard, he could see the mottled splotches of clouds floating overhead, "that's what Shikamaru told me."

"Do you like Shikamaru, then?" Udon asked seriously.

Konohamaru was silent for a moment as his mind processed the question. "What?" he demanded, perhaps a bit too loud. Ebisu shifted, and snored louder.

"You're _always_ hanging out with him, and talking about him."

"But that doesn't mean I _like_ him."

Udon shrugged. "Okay; I was just curious." He rolled over in his sleeping bag, leaving Konohamaru feeling slightly uncomfortable. There was no way he would sleep tonight.

---

No, Konohamaru, don't take romantic advice from Shikamaru! Thank you for reading!


	24. Hanabi

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: This is for Demonic Angel Clone, who wanted to see Hanabi in this. I really don't know much about her, and hope that I have done her justice, and she's not too much like Hinata.

---

Hanabi

---

Shikamaru sighed as he watched the clouds pass overhead. The grass was damp; he felt his vest stick to his back, but he couldn't bring himself to get up. He reached into his top vest pocket to find it empty. "Oh yeah," he mumbled, "forgot." He bit his lip to hold in a cough.

There was a rustle in a nearby bush. Shikamaru jumped, and peered in its direction. He reached for a kunai, but dropped it when he saw that it was only a young girl; Hinata's little sister-- he couldn't remember her name. "Shikamaru-san," she said breathily.

He stared at her for a moment. The girl let her eyes wander past Shikamaru; looking for someone? "I don't think I'm the person you were expecting to find here," he said.

She gaped slightly. "No."

Shikamaru shrugged, and threw himself onto the grass again; his back was getting cold from the dampness. "Team Ebisu is on a mission," he told her.

The bushes rustled, and he thought the girl came closer. What was her name? "Oh."

"Konohamaru should be back later today." He really wished that he hadn't stopped smoking; he was so used to the feeling of something at his mouth.

"Okay."

"Try coming back here around five."

"O-okay." Shikamaru heard her slowly walk away. He continued watching clouds. A few moments later, he remembered; her name was Hanabi.

---

Thank you for reading; I hope you enjoyed it. I would love to hear from you!


	25. Hanabi two

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: Part two of the request from Demonic Angel Clone. I really hope Hanabi's not too Hinata-ish; I figured that they would be kind of similar, though, because they _are_ sisters.

---

Hanabi (two)

---

Konohamaru ambled through the park. They got back from the mission late, and all he wanted to do was to see Shikamaru, and maybe take a nap under the clouds. When he reached their usual spot, Konohamaru saw someone unexpected there. "Hanabi-chan?" he asked. She looked over at him. Her face was red, and he could see her chest heaving slightly. "You look kind of red. Are you getting sick?" he asked her.

Hanabi looked away. "I'm fine. I just, um, finished training earlier." She stood, and fixed him with a nebulous look. One that Konohamaru was pretty sure he'd seen somewhere before.

"Oh," was all that he could think of to say.

"How was your mission?" she asked, looking him over for any obvious injuries.

Konohamaru shrugged. "Huh? Oh, it was good." He thought for a moment. "How did you know?"

Hanabi looked away. "I, uh, ran into Shikamaru-san earlier today."

"Have you seen him recently?" Konohamaru asked. "I wanted to talk to him."

Hanabi shook her head. "N-no."

Konohamaru rubbed his shoulder. His muscles ached; he could just wait for Shikamaru to come here. He chuckled inwardly; if he did _that_, he might wait until tomorrow. "Hm, I'm going to go look for him," he muttered, turning.

"Oh," came Hanabi's voice, slightly dejected, from behind.

Konohamaru turned around. "Um, you can, uh, come with-- if you want."

Hanabi covered her face to cough. "No. I should go home."

Konohamaru shrugged; girls were weird. "Okay, see you, Hanabi-chan!" He took off running--or walking kind of quickly; he was too tired to actually run-- to find Shikamaru.

---

Poor Konohamaru: he has no clue when it comes to girls… Thanks for reading; I would love to hear what you thought.


	26. Smell

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: I wrote this one first out of these, but figured it would go best last. Hope I can get more out fairly soon!

---

Smell

---

As Konohamaru wandered the streets that evening, looking for Shikamaru, he smelled for smoke.

Asuma always smelled like smoke. Konohamaru never particularly _liked_ the smell; but he liked Uncle Asuma, so he put up with it. He wondered how Asuma could be such a successful shinobi; Konohmamaru could _always_ smell his uncle approaching. Wouldn't enemy shinobi be able to also?

Shikamaru always smelled like smoke too. Konohamaru sometimes wondered if that was part of the reason he was so drawn to him. In the beginning, he liked the smell because it reminded him of Asuma; now he liked it because it reminded him of Shikamaru.

"Hey." Konohamaru jumped. The voice sounded like Shikamaru, but he couldn't smell the smoke. He turned around. Shikamaru was looking at him with his eyebrows raised.

Konohamaru smiled nervously. "Hi," he said. "You're, uh, not smoking."

Shikamaru shrugged, coughing. "I never liked it anyways." He smiled. "Besides, there are better ways to remember him."

---

Aw, Konohamaru's nagging makes a difference... Thanks for reading all these; I hope they were worth the wait! I would like to hear from you!

Question: do we know anything about Konohamaru's parents? I've watched all the anime, and read most of the manga, but I don't recall hearing anything about them; are they still alive? I'm thinking about including something on them next, but I don't want to do something uncanon if there is a canon for them. Thanks again.


	27. Troublesome

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto… merde.  
A/N: I've been meaning to include more Naruto…

---

Troublesome

---

Konohamaru jolted awake when something tickled his stomach. His eyes shot open to see Naruto kneeling above him. He was smiling mischievously, and had a tiny version of rasengan swirling in his palm.

Konohamaru frowned, rubbing his stomach slightly. "Naruto nii-chan, you're so troublesome…" he mumbled.

"Troublesome?" Naruto asked, his eyebrows furrowed. "You've been hanging around Shikamaru-kun too much." He let the rasengan in his palm die. "You want to go to Ichiraku's?" he asked, extending a hand to Konohamaru. Konohamaru nodded.

The walk to Ichiraku's was fairly uneventful. They passed Sakura, and Konohamaru had to tackle Naruto, and press his hands firmly against the other boy's mouth to keep him from inviting Sakura along for a date. "Get off me, weirdo," Naruto had barked, digging an elbow into Konohamaru's ribs.

As they sat, waiting for their ramen, Konohamaru covertly rubbed at his side; it still stung. "Naruto nii-chan, are you a chunin yet?" he asked curiously.

Naruto frowned. "I have more important things to do than take the Chunin Exams," he said. Ayame placed thie bowls in front of them. Konohamaru's stomach growled; he hadn't realised how hungry he was.

After several bites, Konohamaru paused thoughtfully. "So that means I outrank you?" he asked innocently. "You'll have to start calling me 'senpai' now," he said, snickering.

"Shut up," Naruto muttered, elbowing Konohamaru again. Konohamru fell off his chair. He didn't notice, though; he was too busy laughing.

---

Haha, I like picking on Naruto, and Konohamaru.


	28. Poppies

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto… merde.  
A/N: I realised that I haven't featured Kurenai yet. I'll have to include her in further chapters.

---

Poppies

---

Most days-- after practice, and before meeting Shikamaru--, Konohamaru would visit Kurenai. He knocked at the door; there was a soft noise-- a whispered invitation--, and he pushed the door open. Asuma's poppies were sitting on the table. Konohamaru passed, smiling slightly at them.

Kurenai was sitting on the couch; her stomach swelled, and strained at the fabric of her dress. She was getting bigger everyday-- the twelve-year-old in Konohamaru wondered vaguely if she could explode from pregnancy. "Konohamaru-kun," Kurenai said, smiling faintly. "It's nice to see you again."

He smiled back, like always. "Can I get you anything?" he asked.

Kurenai just shook her head, like always. He wasn't sure why he bothered asking. "No, your company's all I need right now." She patted the spot next to her on the couch with her free hand (her other hand was resting on her stomach), and Konohamaru obediently sat down.

They never spoke much; Konohamaru was unsure if this was good or bad. Unlike the silences with Shikamaru, these silences were thick, and constricting. They reminded him of his mom right after they were told his dad died in a mission. It had been Uncle Asuma that told her; Konohamaru had been eavesdropping on their conversation (for once he wasn't scolded for it).

The clock struck three o'clock. Kurenai smiled faintly at Konohamaru. "It's time for you to leave, isn't it?" she asked. Konohamaru nodded. He passed the poppies again as he left; this time he didn't smile at them.

---

Thank you for reading, and I'd be much obliged if you reviewed!


	29. Embarrassment

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto… merde.  
A/N: Only three today; I'm too tired to write more. Poor Konohamaru, he suffers so much!

---

Embarrassment

---

The little creature stared wide-eyed at the two boys in front of it. Konohamaru dangled his scarf above its nose trying to engage it in some sort of game, but it merely watched, a curious glint appearing in its eyes.

Shikamaru frowned. "It's a baby, idiot, not a kitten," he said pulling Konohamaru's hand away. He seemed to be just as unsure about how to properly engage the child, and settled for eyeing critically.

Konohamaru gave Shikamaru a playful shove. "I know _that_," he said a bit too loudly. The little creature in front of them cringed at the noise. Konohamaru's mouth formed an 'O', and he dropped his scarf into his lap. "Lot's of little kids like to play with toys, though," he said quieter. He smiled sadly. "When I was little, Uncle Asuma used to do that."

"So that's where you got the obsession with tickling people's noses?" Shikamaru asked, smirking slightly. He had learned the dangers of sleeping in Konohamaru's presence early on; it was very unpleasant to be awoken by sneezing.

"I'm not obsessed," Konohamaru countered. It would have been more effective, Shikamaru thought, if his cheeks hadn't been stained pink. The creature giggled.

Shikamaru's smirk widened. "Would you look at that," he murmured. One of Konohamaru's eyebrows rose questioningly. "The kid seems to find joy in your embarrassment." He paused, bringing a finger to his mouth in thought. "I suppose, to ensure the kid's happiness, I'll just have to embarrass you more."

Shikamaru smirked; Konohamaru groaned; the creature giggled.

---

O, what fun Konohamaru, and Shikamaru will have now that the baby is finally in the picture! If people are interested, you can submit what you want its gender, and name to be; I'm not sure what to do with it (I could just leave it an it…)


	30. Snow

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: In honour of the season-- and the weather reports that say we may get snow on Monday!--, I've decided to write something Wintery.  
A/N2: So much for working like a madwoman on my other stuff...

---

Snow

---

Shikamaru groaned as he looked out the window that morning. Snow. Great. That meant he would have to have to age old debate as to whether he should wear more layers of clothes. If he did, then he would be warm while walking outside, but as soon as he entered a building, he would overheat. But if he didn't, he would freeze outside, and be comfortable inside. Or he could wear one layer, and be cold outside, and hot inside... Shikamaru sighed; he hated snow.

As Shikamaru opened the front door, he saw something white flying at him. _Splat_. He wiped the snow from his face, and glared at its point of origin.

Standing there, smiling impishly, was Konohamaru. Of course, Konohamaru would be one of those weirdos who actually _liked_ the cold. He tossed another snowball-- which Shikamaru dodged--, and laughed. Unfortunately, Konohamaru was too distracted watching Shikamaru, so he missed Naruto sneaking up behind him. Naruto plunged a handful of snow down the back of Konohamaru's shirt.

Konohamaru squawked indignantly, and punched Naruto in the face. Shikamaru sighed. He stepped onto the street, and fell flat on his back. The only thing _better_ than snow was ice. Shikamaru hated winter.

---

Poor Shikamaru, it sucks to fall on ice. Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it, and I would like to hear from you.


	31. Cold

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: Random silliness...

---

Cold

---

Now that it was winter, Konohamaru was seeing Shikamaru less, and less. He never showed up at their usual meeting spot, and when they passed on the street, he always seemed to be in a hurry. Konohamaru remembered Shikamaru saying he hated the cold; that must have been it.

Konohamaru found himself knocking at Shikamaru's front door. Shikamaru's mom shooed him inside (he waved at Shikaku-sensei, who was reading a report in the front room). Shikamaru, she said, was in his room.

Konohamaru knocked at the door. When there was no answer, he pushed the door open. He smirked slightly at the huddled mass of blankets sitting on Shikamaru's bed. Devious as ever, he ripped them off as quickly as possible to find... pillows. Konohamaru raised a questioning eyebrow.

The door creaked open. "Tch, what a jerk," Shikamaru mumbled, standing in the doorway.

Konohamaru smiled sheepishly at him.

---

I have no idea where that came from... Sorry it's so short. Thanks again for reading it, and I hope that you have time to review!


	32. Question

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: I'm guessing Hanabi's just shy around Konohamaru because she likes him... I'm also thinking that Konohamaru may be a bit _too_ oblivious, but: O well, it's funny.

---

Question

---

"Hanabi-chan! Just the person I was looking for," Konohamaru said as he approached the Hyuga estate. She was walking into the courtyard with Neji.

"I-I am?" she asked, uncertainly. She had been holding a few kunai, but they slipped out of her hands, and clanked to the ground.

Konohamaru frowned. "You're all red. Were you training again?"

"Yes," she said breathlessly, bended to pick up the scattered weapons.

"I was thinking, did you want to--" Hanabi's eyes widened. " are you sure you're okay?" Konhamaru asked. Hanabi nodded, and motioned for him to continue. "Anyways, did you want to spar with me sometime?"

"Oh, um, yeah, I would love to!" she said, beaming slightly. (Neji smiled, slightly, evilly. Konohamaru didn't like that look.) Konohamaru frowned. She sounded really enthusiastic about training; did that mean she was as obsessed as Moegi?

As they parted, Konohamaru hoped Moegi, and Hanabi would never become friends. It was enough having Moegi pester him about training-- she didn't need help.

---

Poor Hanabi-chan; and we all _know_ Neji is secretly plotting _something..._ Thanks for reading; I'd love to hear from you.


	33. Advice

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: Poor Konohamaru, I get too much amusement out of torturing him.

---

Advice

---

Konohamaru really should not have been surprised by any strange things that happened around Konoha; it was a ninja city, after all. And ninja were strange. But Konohamaru was more than a little surprised when he was detained outside Ichiraku's by the last person he would expect.

"So," Kiba said, sidling up to him. "A little birdie told me that you're going on a date with Hanabi-chan."

Konohamaru felt his jaw drop slightly. "Huh?" Talk about random…

Kiba chuckled nervously. "You guys _are_ going on a date, aren't you?" he asked, suddenly very serious.

Konhamaru shook his head slightly. "Not that I'm aware of..."

Kiba chewed on his bottom lip. "Hm... I wonder what I did to make her mad... let's hope she doesn't ask me what I'm apologising for like last time..." he muttered to himself.

Konohamaru raised an eyebrow. "Hm?"

"Hinata told me that you, and Hanabi were going on a date," he said, smiling sheepishly. "She told me to give you 'advice'-- whatever that meant." He shrugged.

Konohamaru shrugged too. "Oh. Well, we're just sparring, so it's not a date." Kiba was beginning to leave when Konohamaru got an idea. "But you _could_ give me advice, if you want," he said, making no effort to hide the excitement in his voice.

"Oh...?" Kiba looked dubious.

Konohamaru nodded. "You're in Hinata's team." Kiba gave him a 'no duh' look, but he ignored it. "How does the Byakugan work, exactly?"

Kiba smiled mischievously, and walked inside Ichiraku's. "We better sit down," he called, "this'll take a while."

---

Kiba's kind of whipped. I tried writing a 'date' scene for Konohamaru, and Hanabi now, but I'll do it later... Thanks for reading; I'd be much obliged if you told me what you thought. And If you have any ideas, or requests, I would love to fit them in (because as you can see this has no discernable plot…)


	34. Cat

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: I like Konohamaru's scarf...

---

Cat

---

As Shikamaru entered Kurenai's apartment, he noticed that Konohamaru was there as well. He was sitting on the floor dangling his scarf for the baby to paw at. Shikamaru sighed.

Kurenai didn't seem the least bit disturbed by Konohamaru's behaviour. She was sitting on the couch, laughing quietly. She smiled at Shikamaru.

Shikamaru allowed his lips to quirk into a small smile before he sat down next to Konohamaru. The baby stopped pawing the scarf, and stared up at Shikamaru with wide eyes.

It mewled softly. "Nice going, idiot," Shikamaru mumbled. He glared pointedly at Konohamaru "Now the kid thinks it's a cat."

Konohamaru dropped his scarf, and looked away. "You sure that's not just the sound all babies make?" he asked quietly.

Shikamaru shrugged. "If the kid has an identity problem, we'll know who to go after."

Konhamaru smiled sheepishly.

---

Thanks for reading. Sorry it's so short; hope you liked it, though. I would love to hear from you.


	35. Different

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: Random idea (actually got it from Avatar, because Sokka looks different with his hair up/down)

---

Different

---

Shikamaru stirred awake. He opened his eyes; it was getting dark. Konohamaru glanced over at him, then looked back at the sky.

Shikamaru sat up. He felt his hair falling out of its band. Sighing, he removed it, and placed it on the ground next to him. He combed a hand through his hair. Shikamaru felt eyes peering at him. Konohamaru was staring-- and doing little to hide this fact.

"What?" Shikamaru asked gruffly.

Konohamaru looked away. "Your hair... it, uh, makes you look different."

Shikamaru sighed, and gathered his hair back into its band. He contemplated getting up. Too troublesome, he decided, flopping back onto the grass.

---

Another short one. Thanks for reading, and hope that you like it. I would really like to hear from you.


	36. Trouble

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: Inspired by a comment from Demonic Angel Clone

---

Trouble

---

The door to Kurenai's apartment opened. She looked over to see both Shikamaru, and Konohamaru entering. "Where's the baby?" Konohamaru asked.

"She's at the Academy day-care," Kurenai said. She had began working again, and-- though she certainly loved the baby-- she could be quite difficult. "I was just going to pick her up. Would you boys mind doing that for me? I haven't finished copying these reports."

Both boys nodded. "Sure," Shikamaru said.

Nearly an hour later, Kurenai had finished her reports. She looked to the clock. "Hm," she said quietly. "It should have only taken a few minutes." She smiled softly. "Perhaps they took her to the park."

No sooner had she thought this than there was a knock on the door. Odd, she thought, for the boys never knocked anymore. She padded over to the door. Opening it, she saw Shikamaru-- holding the baby--, and Konohamaru; both smiled sheepishly at her. In between them was the day-care director; her hands were firmly clamped on Shikamaru, and Konohamaru's ears.

"I would appreciate--" the director began, her voice was slightly breathy, like she was trying to hold in a scream. "--if, from now on, you did not send messengers to pick up your daughter."

Kurenai frowned. "May I ask why?"

"These boys," the director shot each a pointed glare-- they visibly wilted--, "were harassing one of my other charges."

"He was looking at her funny," Shikamaru muttered.

"He wanted to see her naked," Konohamaru added. "We had to defend her honour!"

---

If the boys are this bad now, I would hate to see them when the baby gets older! Thanks for reading, and please review if you have time.


	37. Mad

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: I kind of forgot that Ino, and Choji existed...

---

Mad

---

"Choji really misses you." The comment startled Shikamaru. He hadn't realised that anyone was with him. Turning, he saw Ino; she looked different than normal-- calmer, almost.

"Choji?" Shikamaru asked. Somehow, he'd been so busy-- with missions, with the baby, with Konohamaru--, he forgot about Choji.

Ino sighed. "Yes, Choji, your best friend; he misses you." She looked down, toying with a loose strand of hair.

Shikamaru frowned slightly. "Then why isn't he here."

Ino smiled faintly. "You know how Choji is," she shrugged. "He seems to think you're mad at him." She gave Shikamaru an appraising look, as if she hoped the answer was written on his forehead.

Shikamaru shrugged. "I was."

"But now you're not," Ino asked slowly.

Shikamaru involuntarily shrugged again. "It's too troublesome to stay mad; I don't really care."

"Oh."

Something about that lone syllable was so sad, so wretched; Shikamaru didn't like this new Ino much, he thought as he left. As he was walking to the park he passed by a girl who looked suspiciously like Ino. "Hi Shikamaru!" she called. Shikamaru frowned.

---

Hm, Ino must be magic... Thank you for reading, and I would love to hear from you.


	38. Meeting

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: I wondered how Ino, and Konohamaru would act together.. This was the result. No flowers were harmed in the making of this vignette.

---

Meeting

---

Konohamaru had arrived at the flower shop, staring at the note in his hand (_meet me at my dad's shop today at four; we need to talk. -Ino_). "Hi, Konohamaru-kun," Ino called from behind the counter. She was in the middle of arranging a gigantic bouquet. Konohamaru tried not to gag from the overwhelming stench of flowers.

"Does Shikamaru ever talk about Choji?" Ino asked, suddenly sounding very business-like.

"N-no," Konohamaru stammered, staring at Ino. There was no question about it: girls were weird. And kind of scary when they changed so quickly like that.

Ino sighed. "Oh." She pushed a bunch of little white flowers into the bouquet, and stared-- with one eye closed, and her tongue held between her teeth-- at her work.

"Does Choji ever talk about Shikamaru?" Konohamaru asked curiously.

"No." Ino spritzed the bouquet with her spray bottle.

"Oh."

Ino banged her hand on the counter, and looked suddenly very serious. "But I _know_ he misses him."

"How?" Konohamaru asked, eyes widened.

"I'm a girl; we know everything." Konohamaru raised an incredulous eyebrow. "Well, not _everything_," Ino clarified, "but we do know a lot more about emotions."

"So that's why girls are so weird?"

"Konohamaru-kun!" Ino yelled, hitting him on the head with her spray bottle.

"What?" Konohamaru asked innocently.

---

I have to go to work now, but I might write more when I get home (around 10:30-11pm)... Thanks for reading all these! Hope that you have time to review


	39. Crush

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto… merde.  
A/N: I wrote this during one of my breaks at work today. I'm not good with romance, so I hope that I didn't completely botch this chapter...

---

Crush

---

Konohamaru watched as Hanabi frowned slightly. Her Byakugan was activated, causing the veins at her temples to bulge. She glared at the seven Konohamaru's-- each with an equally mischievous grin-- that surrounded her.

They approached; lunged. "Tickle no jutsu," one of them screamed as they landed soft thrusts all over her. Hanabi giggled breathlessly. She fell to the ground, and continued laughing even after six of the Konohamaru's disappeared. The one remaining Konohamaru raised an eyebrow at Hanabi. "Are you alright, Hanabi-chan?" he asked, kneeling down next to her. Konohamaru was thankful that it wasn't a real fight; if it had been one, he was pretty sure that she could crush him.

Hanabi tried-- and failed-- to talk. She settled for nodding. When she finally stopped laughing, Hanabi gave him a funny look-- he had seen that look before, _somewhere_. She leaned in, and brushed her lips against Konohamaru's. She had finished this action before Konohamaru's brain could process what exactly was happening. A girl kissed him. Hanabi kissed him.

For some reason this was not as exciting as he had always thought it would be-- well, not _always_, because until very recently he had been sure girls were highly toxic, but everyone else said it was exciting.

Konohamaru was still distracted when Hanabi pulled away-- quickly, like she had been burned. "I-I-I--" she stammered. Konohamaru raised a questioning eyebrow at her. He would talk, but he feared that he would say something very stupid, and Hanabi looked like she very likely might cry.

---

I like Konohamaru's 'Tickle no jutsu'… Combined with Sexy no jutsu, it would be win. My mom, and I had a long conversation about whether I should use 'toxic', 'poisonous', or 'venomous' in the bit: 'he had been sure girls were highly poisonous.' Thanks for reading, and I hope you liked it. I would like to hear what you thought!


	40. Bad

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: Um, no real explanation... But I have to have an A/N for each.

---

Bad

---

Shikamaru sighed, and scrubbed a hand over his face. The sun was bright today. Konohamaru kept his eyes closed. "So Neji said you, and Hanabi went on a date," Shikamaru asked.

"That's what Kiba thought too," Konohamaru said. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, so he explained: "Apparently Hinata told him that. We just sparred." Konohamaru was silent for a moment, remembering what happened after their spar. "And she kissed me," he added quietly.

Shikamaru shifted slightly. "Oh." It sounded stiff, and uncomfortable.

Konohamaru smiled awkwardly-- though he was sure Shikamaru couldn't see. "She cried a bit too."

"Are you that bad of a kisser?" Shikamaru asked, smirking (Konohamaru didn't bother looking, but he _knew_ that Shikamaru was).

Konohamaru shrugged. "I guess." he neglected to mention the horrible expression Hanabi wore when he told her that he didn't _like_-like her. She said that she still wanted to be friends, but they never really had been friends too begin with.

Shikamaru sat up. "Do you want to go to Ichiraku's?" he asked. His stomach rumbled.

Konohamaru smiled slightly. "Sure."

---

I like that they're getting to the point where Konohamaru instinctively knows what Shikamaru's expression is… Thank you all for reading, and I hope that you liked it. I would love to hear from you.


	41. Fight

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: Kind of weird. I'm not sure if I _like_ it... The part where there is no description should be read very quickly.

---

Fight

---

Shikamaru entered the barbeque restaurant hesitantly. Choji was sitting in the corner; he was with Ino. When she made eye contact with Shikamaru, though, she excused herself, and wandered off to the restroom. "Ino said you miss me?" Shikamaru asked, sitting across from Choji.

Choji continued eating. He swallowed loudly. "Oh?"

"I'm not stupid, you know," Shikamaru said suddenly.

Choji's hand froze in the middle of bringing his fork to his mouth. "Your Academy grades say otherwise."

Shikamaru snorted. "Since when were you the top of the class," he asked.

Choji carefully placed more meat on the grill in the middle of the table. "I'm pretty sure you were asleep."

"Are you sure _you_ weren't dreaming?" Shikamaru asked, taking one of Ino's chopsticks, and poking vindictively at a piece of meat. Choji glared.

"Maybe you were playing hide-and-seek with Konohamaru."

"Maybe you were snogging Ino."

"Maybe you're just jealous."

"Maybe you should mind your business."

"Maybe you shouldn't assume things."

"Maybe you should shut up."

"Maybe you shouldn't intrude on people's meals."

"Maybe you shouldn't pretend to be Ino."

"Maybe you shouldn't ditch me for a twelve-year-old."

"Maybe you shouldn't have ditched me for Ino first."

"Maybe you shouldn't assume that I ditched you."

"Maybe you should--"

"_Maybe you two should shut _up_ already_," Ino screamed. Since when was she there? Shikamaru instinctively gave Choji a self-deprecating look; Choji returned it. At the same moment, they seemed to realise their mistake; they glared at each other. Shikamaru hadn't _wanted_ to fight, but it was easier than the alternative.

---

Um, I'm pretty sure I just broke their friendship. Is it wrong that it was kind of fun? Originally this contained several swear words, but that may be because I was pretending to be Hidan before writing it... Let's see if I can patch this mess up... Thank you for reading, and I hope that you review!


	42. Selfish

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: I am beginning to like the dynamic between Ino, and Konohamaru.

---

Selfish

---

"That's it, we have to do something," Ino said, a note of finality in her voice.

"Why 'we'?" Konohamaru asked, glaring at the pile of azaleas (Ino had beaten the names of several different flowers into his head; otherwise he wouldn't know).

Ino sighed, and gave him a pitying look. "Because we are their friends, and we love them." Konohamaru raised an eyebrow. "Okay," Ino clarified, "we tolerate them, at least." Her expression changed slightly-- it grew softer. "Choji's not a bad guy, you know; whatever Shikamaru's said, he's a nice guy."

Konohamaru resisted the urge to cross his arms over his chest. "I don't care if he's the nicest person in the world. I don't want them to make up," he muttered.

Ino's eyes widened. "Why?"

"Well..." he stared at his shoes, and began toying with the loose string on his scarf. "Why do _you_ want them to make up?"

Ino laughed slightly. "They're best friends; since before Academy. They're my teammates, and I hate to see them upset."

Konohamaru didn't dare look up. "But then... what if they don't like us anymore?" he asked; his voice, somehow, had been reduced to a whisper.

"Huh?" Ino's eyebrows were raised into her fringe.

Konohamaru shrugged. "Our friendship," he began, forcing his voice louder, "began because Choji was busy spending time with you. If they patch things up, what if he would rather see Choji than me?"

Ino smiled awkwardly. "That's kind of selfish, Konohamaru-kun."

Konohamru sighed, and tugged at the string on his scarf. It broke. "I am only twelve, you know," he muttered darkly.

---

Poor Konohamaru... I would torture him a lot less if he weren't so cute. Thanks for reading all these; hope you enjoyed them. I would love to hear from you!


	43. Work

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: I'm sorry it's taken so long to update. My internet connection has been defunct, and my brother just helped me fix it. I was going to post sooner on my mom's computer, but she's been to busy playing Pack Rat on Facebook to let me use it. ^_^'  
A/N2: On a completely different note, if you like Mozart's _Don Giovanni_, you should check out the new fics I just posted.

---

Work

---

"Why do you hate Choji?" Ino asked suddenly, invading Shikamaru's cloud watching. Konohamaru was suspiciously absent; Shikamaru thought he saw Ino harassing him earlier in the week.

Shikamaru shrugged. "I don't hate Choji."

"Then why aren't you talking to him?" Ino asked pointedly.

Shikamaru shrugged. He muttered a "troublesome."

Ino shot him a glare. Shikamaru tried not to recoil. "He's your best friend."

"He is?"

"Yes," Ino sighed. She smiled suddenly, evilly. "What if something had happened between you, and Temari," she asked triumphantly.

Shikamaru shrugged. "Nothing did happen; nothing _would_ have happened."

Ino raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

Shikamaru sighed. "Because it's too much work. And I wouldn't have wanted to abandon Choji."

"Choji didn't _abandon_ you."

Shikamaru shrugged. Ino left. He took an unopened pack of cigarettes out of his vest pocket, and glared at it. Where had he left Asuma's lighter?

---

Thanks for reading this, I hope you like it. I would love to hear from you, and again, sorry about the delay.


	44. Explanation

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: Girls are so confusing...  
A/N2: Whoops, accidentally posted the wrong chapter. ^_^'I guess I posted too many things last night... I fixed it though. Thanks to Sir-Shun for pointing that out!

---

Explanation

---

Konohamaru had just finished training with Udon. Moegi had been assigned a mission with another team, so it was just the two of them, and Ebisu. Ebisu was currently talking with Sakura, who had come to deliver a message from Tsunade. Konohamaru sighed, and massaged his aching limbs.

Udon coughed slightly. "I asked Moegi out," he said suddenly.

Konohamaru looked over at Udon, who was looking particularly congested today. "What did she say?" he asked, trying not to cringe.

"No."

Konohamaru gave Udon a condoling look. "That sucks."

Udon frowned. "Then she asked me out."

Konohamaru raised an eyebrow. "What did you say?"

"No."

"Why?"

Udon looked confusedly at Konohamaru. "She told me 'no'," he stated simply.

Konohamaru sighed. "But you're not supposed to tell _her_ 'no'."

Udon frowned. "Why not?"

Konohamaru laughed nervously. "Um, I could try to explain it," he began slowly, "but we'd both probably get confused halfway through." He shrugged slightly.

"Oh." Udon looked at his shoes. "How do I fix it?" he asked, giving Konohamaru a pointed look.

Konohamaru shrugged. "I have no idea."

---

Thanks for reading this, and sorry about the mix up! I hope you liked the _real_ ch. 44, and I would love to hear from you!


	45. Smoking three

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: Really short. I think all my fluffy ideas drown in the pool of angst I've been swimming in.

---

Smoking (three)

---

As Konohamaru approached their usual spot, he saw a trail of smoke wafting up over Shikamaru. "I thought you quit?" he asked Shikamaru's back.

Shikamaru didn't respond. Konohamaru threw himself on the ground next to him, and took the cigarette from Shikamaru's hand. He put it to his own mouth. Inhaled. He coughed violently.

"Don't do that." Shikamaru muttered, looking at his shoes.

"If you can do it, I can too." Konohamaru said determinedly. He always hated the way his eyes watered from the smoke. It was even worse to feel his throat constricting. He coughed again, but continued smoking.

Shikamaru gave Konohamaru a half-hearted glare. "You don't get it," he said tiredly.

"Yes I do."

Shikamaru snatched the cigarette from Konohamaru, and stamped it out. He left. Konohamaru shot a watery glare at his back.

---

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it, and I would love to hear what you thought!


	46. Complicated

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: I hate that the visual of smoking has been programmed into our minds as being undeniably cool.

---

Complicated

---

Shikamaru let his eyes drift closed. The grass was slightly damp, and brushed against his legs. He reached into his vest pocket, and took out a pack of cigarettes, and Asuma's lighter. He put a cigarette to his lips, and lit it. Inhaled. He never really like smoking; it was more of a habit now. Shikamaru hated breaking habits; too much work.

"Explain it," Konohamaru asked suddenly. Shikamaru hadn't noticed he was there. Konohamaru sat down next to him, and made to grab at the cigarette in Shikamaru's mouth. He turned away before Konohamaru could reach.

When he turned back, Shikamaru quirked an eyebrow. He took a dreg of his cigarette, looking away to exhale a puff of smoke.

Konohamaru shrugged. "You said I don't get 'it', so explain it."

Shikamaru sighed, and plucked at a handful of grass. "It's more complicated than that." He didn't look at Konohamaru.

Konohamaru laughed slightly. "I'm a chunin now, I can handle complicated."

"When I say that, I mean," Shikamaru paused, and examined a blade of grass very closely. "I don't get it either."

"You're so troublesome; do you know that?" Konohamaru asked, smirking.

Shikamaru smiled.

---

Thanks for reading; I hope you enjoyed it. I would be much obliged if you reviewed.


	47. Methods

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: Neji's 'methods' are purposefully vague to fulfil my desire to write something Neji/Lee; you can use your imagination.

---

Methods

---

Neji frowned, and pushed a strand of hair from his face. "Why are you asking me?" he asked. He wiped the sweat from his brow, and gave her a look that said he would really rather be left alone while he trained.

Ino smiled flatteringly. "You're a genius," she said simply. Neji didn't react to her words. "Besides, you have to put up with Lee-kun getting into trouble, you _have_ to have a secret."

Neji frowned. "I don't think my, ah... methods would exactly work with Shikamaru-kun, and Choji-kun," he said, busying himself with setting up targets.

"Why not?"

Neji's cheeks grew a shade darker, and he opened his pack to look for some kunai. "Perhaps you could tie them up, and force them to talk it out," he said casually. Ino raised an eyebrow. "Trust me," he added seriously, "the tying up would be quite necessary if they really are as reluctant as they sound."

"Thanks Neji," Ino said. "I'll, um, keep that in mind."

---

Thanks for reading, I would love to hear what you thought!


	48. Lazy

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: This seems very Shikamaru-ish...

---

Lazy

---

"What are you doing here?" Choji asked. He had noted Shikamaru's presence before he could see him; the smell of smoke permeated the air around his house. Choji frowned; he'd always hated that smell.

Shikamaru sighed, and took a dreg of his cigarette. "You know me," he said, attempting to smile. "I'm too lazy to hold a grudge for long."

Choji furrowed his eyebrows. "Oh..." Looking at Shikamaru, he couldn't detect a reason not to believe what he said. "So are we... friends again?" he asked hesitantly.

Shikamaru shrugged. "If you want."

"I do," Choji said quietly.

"Then I guess we are."

"Okay."

Shikamaru looked up, and then back at Choji. He took the cigarette from his mouth, and tossed it to the ground, stamping it out. "Want to watch clouds?" Shikamaru asked

Choji smiled slightly. "I'll get some snacks," he said, turning to go in his house.

---

After all of Ino's plotting, that's all it took... I hope it wasn't anticlimactic; I thought it was cute. Thanks for reading, and I hope you liked it. I would be much obliged if you reviewed!


	49. Investigation

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: Poor Konohamaru...

---

Investigation

---

Konohamaru woke in the morning with the distinct impression that something earth-shattering-- or at least Konohamaru-shattering-- would happen today. So far his day had gone normally: at practice Moegi demanded they stay longer, Ebisu took pity on the boys, and let them out on time. He got lunch at Ichiraku's with Naruto nii-chan. He was on his way to cloud watch with Shikamaru when It happened-- it being the something that was Konohamaru-shattering.

When he was a short distance from their usual spot, Konohamaru heard the sound of two people laughing quietly. One of them sounded like Shikamaru. Konohamaru frowned slightly, and snuck forward to investigate. Shikamaru, and Choji-- and they looked like they were friends again!

Konohamaru frowned, and hid himself behind a large bush. He watched as they talked about nothing, everything, Konohamaru was too far away to hear what they were saying. After a while, they quieted down; Choji began eating a bag of potato chips, and Shikamaru stretched, looking at his watch.

Konohamaru stood quietly, and left.

---

Thanks for reading. I hope that you liked it; I would be very happy if you reviewed!


	50. Troublesome two

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: The last line, I think, is just the way Shikamaru would describe Konohamaru.  
A/N2: I can't believe it-- 50 chapters!!!

---

Troublesome (two)

---

Shikamaru, and Choji were lying in the park watching the clouds laze overhead. They had talked earlier, but now they merely sat there enjoying the company. Choji was noisily eating a bag of potato chips. Shikamaru looked at his watch, and closed his eyes. "I wonder where Konohamaru got off to?" he muttered.

"Huh?" Choji asked; he probably had not heard Shikamaru over his chewing, and the crinkling of the bag on his lap.

"Konohamaru; his practice should have been over nearly an hour ago," Shikamaru explained. He opened his eyes, and looked in the direction Konohamaru usually came. "I'll bet Moegi had Ebisu keep them longer." That sounded like something she would do.

Shikamaru felt Choji watching him; he opened his eyes. "Are you guys really... friends?" Choji asked curiously.

Shikamaru shrugged. "Yeah, why not?" He figured that he should be a bit annoyed at Choji for asking, but he was kind of tired, and the idea of fighting with Choji again was really to troublesome to even entertain.

"I don't know," Choji said. He ate a few more chips, and added, "I wasn't sure if maybe it was more troublesome to ignore him than not."

Shikamaru shrugged. "It was-- is. But I don't really mind anymore."

---

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this! I would love to hear what you thought.


	51. Okay

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: Why is this so addictive? I wish my other stories were this easy to write...

---

Okay

---

"You okay?" Shikamaru's voice invaded Konohamaru's mind quite suddenly. He had been on his way to meet Moegi, and Udon.

Konohamaru turned around. "I saw you, and Choji-san made up," he said simply.

Shikamaru shrugged. "Yeah."

Konohamaru knew he should say something now, but his mind had become rather fuzzy. He looked at his shoes, and tugged on the little bit of loose string on his scarf. "Oh."

"I, uh…" Shikamaru began; he paused. Konohamaru raised an eyebrow. "You weren't there yesterday."

Konohamaru shrugged. "I was advising Udon about girls," he said. It was partially true; Udon _had_ asked him how he could stop Moegi from acting so pissed yesterday.

Shikamaru smirked. "Since you know so much about them," he teased.

"Everything I know about them is from you," Konohamaru countered, a smile forming on his lips.

Shikamaru laughed. "Since _I_ know so much about them."

"More than Udon," Konohamaru said, snickering.

Shikamaru sobered, and gave Konohamaru a look. "You never answered my question," he said seriously.

"Huh?"

"Are you okay?"

Konohamaru laughed nervously. "Yeah, of course," he said.

---

I really can't believe that I've written fifty-one chapters for this! It's so dreadfully exciting! When I began, I thought that I would write ten to fifteen, maybe twenty if I was feeling especially ambitious. I really can't believe that it has evolved into this! I would like to thank you all so much for reading this. Thank you, as well to everyone who reviewed; you all have kept me motivated to write more. (I feel a bit like I'm giving an Oscar acceptance speech...)


	52. Book

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: Written because: really, Shikamaru, and Choji? And Ino seems like someone who would comment on plot, characterisation, etc. in real life.

---

Book

---

"I can't believe them," Ino fumed. "I really can't believe them."

Konohamaru frowned slightly, but Ino didn't seem to notice. "But I thought you wanted them to be friends again?" he asked. He had been accosted, and forced into the Yamanaka flower shop-- a sort of secret base for all of Ino's plotting, Konohamaru decided.

Ino sighed, and gave Konohamaru a pitying look. "Yes, of course I do," she said as if that were obvious. "But _that?"_ she said, banging her head on the table. One of the glass vases jostled; Konohamaru steadied it. (Those are dahlias, a voice in his head said; it sounded suspiciously like Ino.)

"What about it?" Konohamaru asked curiously.

Ino groaned. "There's no drama!" Her arms shot out in exasperation, and Konohamaru again had to steady the vase of dahlias. "Here it is they have a falling out, they fight, ignore each other, even have a screaming match-- and it gets resolved because Shikamaru's too lazy to hold a grudge?" She sighed. "How anticlimactic."

Konohamaru shrugged "It's not like we're in a book, or anything."

---

Poor Ino; those boys... Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this, and I would love to hear what you thought.


	53. Mess

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: I really should be cleaning my room, but it's more fun to speculate at the state of Konohamaru's room...  
A/N2: Quite a bit longer than normal, but that might have something to do with the fact that I'm unmotivated to clean my own room (which isn't nearly as bad as his, mind).

---

Mess

---

After a week of silence, Shikamaru decided that he should look for Konohamaru. After all, it was unnatural for the other boy to go one day without pestering him; one week… something must be really wrong. So that was how Shikamaru found himself standing on a dirtied welcome mat, knocking on the door to Konohamaru's house.

It opened slightly, and Konohamaru peered out though the gap. "What do you want?" he asked quietly.

Shikamaru frowned. "I, er… you've been missing. I was curious what happened," he explained. Konohamaru nodded, and pushed the door open further. He gestured for Shikamaru to follow him. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow-- though Konohamaru couldn't see this-- at the way Konohamaru tiptoed down the hallway to what he assumed to be the other's bedroom.

The door opened. "What happened?" Shikamaru asked. There were piles of clothes, and weapons, and books, and papers, and pencils, and every manner of things stacked high, and drooping precariously.

"Huh?" Konohamaru asked, putting his hand on a stack of papers to keep it from falling over.

"Was there an earthquake?" Shikamaru asked indifferently.

Konohamaru shot a half-hearted glare his way. "No. My room's not _that_ messy," he murmured. "Mom said I have to straighten it up a little, though."

"Right."

Konohamaru's eyes widened in what Shikamaru assumed was supposed to be an innocent, pleading manner. "You can help me clean it," he declared.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "Why would I do that?"

Konohamaru smiled evilly; it was a look that seemed to say 'I know you better than you do.' "Because me being stuck in here while I try to clean it will break up your routine; and you can't have _that_."

Shikamaru shrugged. "I think I could manage."

"Okay," Konohamaru said, suddenly sounding very bright. "See you in a month."

"A month?"

Konohamaru shrugged. "That's how long it usually takes."

"Why?"

Konohamaru shrugged again. "I get distracted easily."

Shikamaru sighed, and glared heavenward for an instant. How troublesome. "Hand me that waste bin, will you?" he asked.

"You're going to help me?" Konohamaru asked, excitedly.

Shikamaru smirked. "If you stay in this festering wasteland for a whole month, you'll probably die from mould exposure, or something."

Konohamaru glared, then looked about is room. "My room's not _that_ bad."

Shikamaru shrugged. "Yeah, it is."

---

Thanks for reading; I hope that you like it. If you have time, please review.


	54. Sneaking

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: It's chapter 54, and we are finally seeing Konohamaru's mom...

---

Sneaking

---

With Shikamaru's help, it took only a few hours to clean Konohamaru's room. Once they had finished, Shikamaru, and Konohamaru went to Ichiraku's. Somehow, without saying much, Shikamaru had convinced Konohamaru to pay for his meal.

When Konohamaru returned home, he pushed the door opened hesitantly. Peering through the gap, he saw no lights, and no evidence that his mom had come home. He stepped in hesitantly, and tiptoed down the hall to his bedroom.

"Konohamaru?" came a voice from the other room.

Konohamaru froze. He turned around to face his mother. She still had her bag slung over her shoulder; she hadn't been home long. Maybe she hadn't checked-- but wait, Konohamaru had forgotten: his room was clean. He had nothing to worry about.

"Yes, mom?" he asked innocently.

She sighed. "I told you that you couldn't do anything until your room is cleaned."

Konohamaru smiled. "It is, mom."

"It is?" his mom asked sceptically.

"You can even go in, and check yourself," he said. She gave him an appraising look before she set her bag down, and went to check his room.

When his mother returned, she looked surprised. "How did…?" she began.

Konohamaru smiled slightly. "Shikamaru helped me."

"I see," his mother said. From the way she said it, Konohamaru wondered exactly _what_ she saw.

---

Not sure where I'm going with this... Hope you liked it, though. Thanks for reading, and I would love to hear what you thought.


	55. Lost

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: Really short...  
A/N2: whoops, gave this the wrong title at first...

---

Lost

---

Shikamaru woke up to something poking his ribs. "What?" he hissed.

"Have you seen the baby?" Konohamaru asked.

Shikamaru's eyes snapped open. He sat up, and fixed Konohamaru with a pointed glare. "You lost it?"

Konohamaru smiled sheepishly. "I didn't _lose_ it," he said. "I just can't find it."

Shikamaru frowned. "Well, find it-- I'm not going to be the one explaining to Kurenai why she suddenly is missing a baby." He stood, and began prodding at the bushes nearby hoping that the baby hadn't gone far.

Konohamaru followed after him. "You were watching it too," he said-- he cringed at how whiny his voice sounded. This was Kurenai's baby, if they lost it...!

Shikamaru sighed. "But I distinctly remember asking 'can you watch it while I sleep?', and you saying 'yes'."

Konohamaru frowned. "Shit."

---

O noes, what will they do? Maybe Kurenai's baby will be found, and raised by stray cats; that would be amusing. Thanks for reading. I hope you like it, and have time to review.


	56. Found

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: Poor Konohamaru, he's so picked on...

---

Found

---

Konohamaru pushed the door to Kurenai's apartment open. He stood there for a moment, gasping for breath. "Have you seen Shikamaru?" he asked anxiously.

Kurenai nodded. Before she could say anything, Shikamaru came out of the back room holding the baby in his arms. "There you are," he said casually. "I tried to find you."

Konohamaru, who was now leaning against the doorframe, gasping slightly, noticed the baby in Shikamaru's arms. "Wait, you found it?!" he asked breathlessly.

"Yes, I did find my _forehead protector_." Konohamaru raised an eyebrow. "It was sitting in the bushing right near us."

Konohamaru frowned. "Yeah, but where did you-- Oh!" Shikamaru nodded-- a bit condescendingly; Konohamaru glared. "How long did you look for me?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "A few minutes."

Konohamaru would have hit Shikamaru, but luckily for the bastard, he was carrying the baby; any injury to Shikamaru would mean endangering the baby. He settled for growling slightly. "I've been out there for three hours!" he groaned.

Kurenai smiled. "That's very sweet of you to help Shikamaru-kun find his forehead protector, Konohamaru-kun."

Konohamaru shot Shikamaru a glare.

---

Gosh, Shikamaru. What a jerk... Thank you for reading, and I hope you liked it!


	57. Awkward

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: Okay, I said I wouldn't do any awkward dating scenes, but this technically _isn't_, and I couldn't resist the idea of Ino being a closet yaoi fangirl.

---

Awkward

---

"Aw, isn't this _cute?"_ Ino asked smiling-- evilly-- at Choji, Shikamaru, and Konohamaru. They were seated at the barbeque restaurant waiting for their food. When the three boys exchanged puzzled glances, Ino explained: "It's like a double date!"

Konohamaru choked on his water. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. Choji glanced over to Ino, and said, very carefully, "Ino..."

"Yeah?" she asked innocently.

Choji smiled slightly-- awkwardly, like he was going to explain something impossibly hard to grasp. "Konohamaru, and Shikamaru are both guys," he said.

Ino shrugged, as if it was merely an inconvenient detail. "So are Kotetsu-senpai, and Izumo-senpai."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but they're..." He paused, trying to think of the correct word, "weird."

Ino smiled. "And you're not, Shikamaru-kun?"

---

Wow, Ino… Thanks for reading; I hope this wasn't too 'awkward date scene'... I hope you like it, and I would be much obliged if you reviewed.


	58. Hokage

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: I feel bad for anyone on who has me author alerted; your inboxes are being completely spammed by Shadow... (I feel _really_ bad for those who have me alerted, and don't even _read_ Shadow!)

---

Hokage

---

"Why do you want to be Hokage?" Shikamaru asked suddenly

"Because," Konohamaru paused, "then everyone will recognise me as Konohamaru-- not Sandaime's grandson, or Asuma's nephew, or Naruto's 'protégé'," he shrugged "or whatever you want to call it."

"You do realise that being Hokage entails a lot of paperwork," Shikamaru said. He grimaced, and added, "_A lot_ of paperwork"

Konohamaru smiled mischievously. "That's why I'll have you as my assistant. Like Shizune."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. He threw a handful of grass at Konohamaru. "I wouldn't be your assistant," he said matter-of-factly.

"Why not?" Konohamaru asked, curiously-- disappointedly?

Shikamaru chuckled slightly. "Shizune-san puts up with so much crap from Tsunade-sama," he said. He spent most of his days at Hokage mansion for some reason or another; Shikamaru couldn't recall how many times Shizune had stormed out of Tsunade's office, usually with a half-empty bottle of sake she had confiscated, grumbling about how much she hated life.

Konohamaru smiled evilly. "But I would be Hokage; you couldn't say 'no'."

Shikamaru shrugged. "Watch me," he said boredly.

Konohamaru shot him a glare-- it was rather ineffective, however, because he was smiling. "You just wait."

---

Aw, cutes! I hope these were worth the wait. Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you liked them. I would love to hear what you thought.


	59. Scarf

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: I've been busy writing a paper on morality in ancient Rome... It was fun, but I really miss my boys! I hope these are good; I'm feeling a bit out of shape.

---

Scarf

---

"What's that?" Shikamaru asked, pointing at the strip of yellow cloth in Konohamaru's hand.

Konohamaru smiled widely, and stretched the strip of fabric out for Shikamaru to see clearly. "I got the baby a scarf," he said excitedly.

"No."

Konohamaru frowned. "No?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Shikamaru nodded slightly. "No," he said. He continued: "I don't want the baby to become some scarf-wearing weirdo."

Konohamaru shot him a glare. "Hey! At least it wouldn't wear its hair in a ponytail like a girl," he countered.

Shikamaru quirked an eyebrow. "But, the baby is a girl…" he said slowly.

"Oh, right," Konohamaru whispered.

"What are you boys blathering on about?" Ino asked, materialising behind them-- she tended to do that, Konohamaru thought. "She's not going to be like either of you!"

---

Ha, poor Konohamaru; he's so silly. Thank you for reading. I would be much obliged if you review.


	60. Akatsuki

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: Tropicalna asked to see Konohamaru asking about Akatsuki; so... here it is.

---

Akatsuki

---

"Naruto won't tell me anything about Akatsuki," Konohamaru muttered flopping down on the grass next to Shikamaru.

"Hm," Shikamaru muttered.

Konohamru sighed. "He seems to think I'll get _ideas_-- whatever that means," he explained, fixing Shikamaru-- whose eyes were still closed-- with a piercing stare. It, of course, had little effect.

"That's smart of him to note," Shikamaru said casually. "I suppose I shall have to begin treating him like an intelligent being."

"So does that mean you won't tell me?" Konohamaru asked, plucking at several blades of grass in front of him.

"No," Shikamaru said simply.

Konohamaru frowned, and threw a handful of grass at Shikamaru. "Why not?" he asked, cringing because his voice sounded more like a nine-year-old than a twelve-year-old.

Shikamaru shrugged. "You'll get 'ideas'."

"What does that even _mean?_" Konohamaru asked. Why did they always have to be so frustrating?

"It means that you'll probably want to go after them," Shikamaru explained tonelessly.

"Well obviously," Konohamaru said. "Otherwise I wouldn't be asking."

Shikamaru sighed. "But they're S-class missing nin, and you're--"

"I'm a chunin, now-- like you." Konohamaru interrupted. "You went after Hidan, and Kakuzu."

"But that was really stupid of me because we almost died."

"But you didn't," Konohamaru countered.

Shikamaru shrugged. "I'm tired," he muttered, turning away from Konohamaru.

"Cheap way to end a conversation..." Konohamaru muttered angrily.

---

I kind of want to have Konohamaru go after Akatsuki... Thanks for reading, I'd love to hear what you thought.


	61. Jutsu

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: Really stupid, but it always amuses me how Shikamaru seems to be the only one who isn't affected by Naruto, and Konohamaru's special technique...

---

Jutsu

---

"Would you mind watching me test my new jutsu?" Konohamaru asked, poking Shikamaru awake.

Shikamaru shrugged. "I guess," he said sleepily.

"You have to watch!" Konohamaru said, prodding Shikamaru in the side with his shoe. Shikamaru opened his eyes, and shot a half-hearted glare at Konohamaru. Konohamaru smiled. "Watch!" he said excitedly.

Shikamaru sat up, and watched disinterestedly as Konohamaru was engulfed in a puff of smoke. When the smoke cleared, he saw a very naked Temari embracing an equally naked Ino. "What do you think?" Ino asked, sounding too much like Konohamaru.

Shikamaru sighed, and flopped back onto the grass. "That's stupid," he muttered.

---

Really short. Thanks for reading, I'd be super happy if you reviewed!


	62. Scary

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: I love Ino...

---

Scary

---

As Shikamaru, and Konohamaru were exiting Ichiraku's, there was a flash of yellow, and Konohamaru was knocked to the ground.

When the dust cleared, Shikamaru saw Ino standing menacingly over Konohamaru. "What's this I hear about you using me for your jutsu?" she asked in a threatening whisper.

Konohamaru smiled meekly, while attempting to make himself as small, and non-threatening as possible. His mouth opened, and shut several times, but nothing came out.

Ino flashed him a violently bright smile. "It better not happen again," she said, disappearing.

Konohamaru, who was still seated on the ground, looked up at Shikamaru. "Why are girls so scary?" he asked pathetically.

---

Haha, Ino is really scary! Thanks for reading; I'd love to hear from you.


	63. Apologising

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: Ino is getting more, and more screen time...

---

Apologising

---

Ino, and Konohamaru were seated inside the Yamanaka flower shop. Konohamaru had been innocently passing by when Ino pulled him inside. 'But why do I have to work?' Konohamaru had asked. Ino had smiled evilly, and said: 'I thought this would be a nice way for you to apologise for using me in your jutsu. Would you rather I flay you with the pruning shears?'

Konohamaru picked up a rose, and fitted it into the arrangement. Ino smiled. "See, isn't this fun?" she asked sweetly.

Konohamaru grumbled a "yeah," and selected another flower for the arrangement. Seriously, he thought; how any person could do this permanently was beyond him. How boring.

Ino coughed slightly as she picked up a sprig of little white flowers-- he couldn't remember the name she had called them. "So..." Ino began. "Sakura said your, uh, jutsu is not exclusive to girls," she said conversationally.

"Huh?" Konoahamru asked, frowning slightly. The stupid flowers had to be all prickly, and stab his finger.

"She, uh, said that you can imitate Sasuke, and Sai," Ino continued.

Konohamaru shrugged. "Oh, yeah."

Ino added more white flowers. "You should show me sometime," she said casually.

Konohamaru raised an eyebrow at her. "Did you really just ask me to do my double knockout: guys?" he asked.

Ino shrugged. "Yeah."

"Okay."

---

O, Ino… Thank you for reading. I hope you liked it. I would love to hear from you.


	64. Slut

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: Because I _like_ this being gen, and my compulsion to write slash is fighting daily to incorporate itself, I give you: Yaoi-fangirl Ino. Because, really, you know she would be one; and that way, I can just make the slash all in her head, and not real...  
A/N2: I noticed that I accidentally used present tense in two places... That's what I get for looking at one of my Scarlet Pimpernel fics (which are in present tense) before writing this one...

---

Slut

---

For some strange reason that is completely beyond Ino's comprehension, Tenten decided to like Shikamaru (probably as a way to get Neji jealous, Ino thought. She scoffed inwardly: like _that_ would ever happen when he has Lee at his beck, and call). She even asked him out on a date. Shikamaru agreed-- because 'it's too troublesome to say 'no' '--, and so now Ino was seated outside the Korean barbeque restaurant with Konohamaru, watching the date's progress.

So far, it seemed like nothing interesting had happened. Tenten was talking, gesturing widely. Shikamaru was poking at his food with one of his chopsticks. Every so often he would look out the window; Ino, and Konohamaru would have to duck out of view. So far, though, he hadn't seen them.

"What are they saying?" Konohamaru asked, whispering despite their distance from the couple.

Ino shrugged. "Judging from the way she's jumping around, I'm guessing that she's telling a story about either Gai-sensei, or Lee-kun."

Konohamaru glared at Ten-ten. "Do you see how low her shirt is? She's a slut," he said viciously.

Ino smirked. "Are you jealous, Konohamaru-kun?"

"What? No." He gave her that look: the 'you're so crazy, with your crazy ideas' look. She recognised that look from the Sasuke/Naruto days (because she was _not_ stupid, and _knew_ that something had to be going on with them...). Ino sighed. Boys were so difficult.

---

Why was this one so fun to write?

I'm thinking of doing spoilers for the manga. What do people think? Does everyone read the manga/ know what just happened, or would I spoil it for you? Please let me know! Thanks for reading, and I hope you liked these.


	65. Talking

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: I'm not dead! …just thought I'd announce that. I feel really bad about taking so long to update. I had decided not to post anything new until I wrote a new chapter for my Avatar story, but... that idea kind of failed. Thank you to everyone that reviewed. I haven't gone through them all yet, but expect a response soon.

---

Talking

---

Shikamaru's mom shooed Konohamaru into Shikamaru's room before he could finish greeting Shikaku-sensei-- something about having just cleaned the carpet. Konohamaru was relieved to see Shikamaru's room wasn't very clean: there were mission briefs spread over his desk, and a stack of clothes on the chair.

Shikamaru was lying on his bed, reading a book. Konohamaru flopped next to him, and began tracing the stitch pattern of Shikamaru's blanket. "So how was your date with Tenten?" he asked. He hoped his voice sounded conversational.

A sigh. "Troublesome," Shikamaru said. His eyes were still fixed to the book, but Konohamaru noticed that they weren't moving.

"That good, huh?"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. He dropped the book to the floor, and rested his hands behind his head. "She wouldn't shut up," he explained.

Konohamaru shrugged. "I don't either."

Shikamaru smirked. "Yeah," he agreed, "but you're easy to tune out."

It took a moment for Konohamaru to process the statement. "Hey--!" Konohamaru kicked Shikamaru off the bed. Laughing, Shikamaru rubbed at his side.

---

I'm thinking for Shikamaru, being a jerk is his way of showing he cares… Thanks for reading. I hope it's worth the wait...?


	66. Rain

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: I had always wished I'd started this at an earlier point, because I completely skipped over anything with Asuma. I'm thinking I may do some flashbacks to include Asuma.  
A/N2: I made a note in the story, since I know some people don't read A/N's... in case you're wondering...

---

Rain

---

(occurs at Asuma's funeral)

Asuma was dead, and crying wouldn't change that.

It was raining. The hulking rock face of Sandaime had tears streaming down it's face. Konohamaru pushed the hair from his eyes, and stared down at his shoes. He could hear the soft shuffling sounds of people moving past Asuma's grave. Saying goodbye.

Minutes-- hours-- days-- some indeterminate amount of time had passed since the shuffling had stopped. But Konohamaru hadn't moved, hadn't even thought of moving.

Because Asuma was _gone._

"You stay out here long enough, you'll catch a cold," a voice said. Konohamaru looked up to see Shikamaru's retreating back. A trail of smoke followed him as he left.

It must have been the smoke making Konohamru's eyes water like that.

---

Thanks for reading.


	67. Concern

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: Only three chapters for now, but hopefully more tomorrow.

---

Concern

---

Konohamaru was in trouble; he was sure of it. Why else woul Ebisu have aske him to stay after practice? Udon and Moegi had left minutes ago, leaving Konohamaru scuffing his shoe in the dirt, and reviewing his conduct in practice. He hadn't done anything bad, had he? He couldn't remember anything glaringly obvious.

Ebisu shot him an appraising look. "Why do you look so guilty?" he asked. Konohamaru shrugged. "Your mother is concerned about you spending all of your time with Nara Shikamaru."

"What? Why?"

Ebisu looked away. "Well, she mentioned that she was worried about him being so much older, and she's concerned that his 'attitude problem' might transfer over to you."

Konohamaru scoffed. "I've always had an attitude problem," he muttered, more to himself than Ebisu. "And you're old too; why isn't she worried about you?"

Ebisu clasped a hand to his chest, and glared at Konohamaru through his spectacles. "Old, I'd hardly say _that_. And as to the second part, I'm also your jounin sensei. It's my responsibility to--"

Konohamaru ignored Ebisu's rant. His eyes wandered to the patch of missing grass near the training ground. "So mom's concerned, you say?"

"Yes."

Konohamaru sighed. "This won't be fun."

---

I'm thinking mommy Sarutobi wouldn't be happy about her twelve-year-old hanging around a sixteen-year-old (especially one who acts his age, unlike Naruto...) Thanks for reading; I'd love to hear what you thought. Hopefully as I get back into the habit of writing these, they'll get better...


	68. Death

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: I wanted to get these out earlier, but ugh, I've had swine flu (actually just regular flu) all last week, and my brain stopped functioning...  
A/N2: I had wanted to make Konohamaru's mom into Asuma's sister, but then I realised the whole last name thing wouldn't work...

---

Death

---

Sarutobi Hanako had always wanted to lead a normal life. Growing up in a family of ninja, however, had taught her to tolerate the absurd. Whatever the matter (her parents' vague neglect, her sensei's nearly psychotic training methods, her team mates' incompetence), she took everything in stride.

Because one day, when-- if-- she survived long enough to find a husband, she could retire from being a ninja, and finally have that normal life she had always wanted. And finally, it did happen. She married, and shortly found herself pregnant. 'Finally,' she said to herself, 'finally, everything is right.'

And things were right. For a while.

As the years passed, she survived the death of her parents, her husband, her father-in-law, her brother-in-law. She was-- or had been-- a ninja. She knew death. She had seen comrades die; she had killed men and women in the War. But it was quite another thing to loose those closest to you.

Hanako always dreaded the day her son would become a qualified ninja.

Being a ninja was a Sarutobi tradition.

As was dying before your time.

---

Okay, a note-- explanation?-- about some recent plot-things: it's hard, since I'm crawling into all the characters' brains, and trying to work out their motivations for everything, but everything looks kind of muddled when I write it out. Like rereading the last ch. had me convinced Konohamaru's mummy thought Shikamaru was going to rape him, or something-- especially when you read the previous chs. with all of the unintentional subtext between the boys... Sorry if I gave that impression... This ch. was to show you what's going on in her head.


	69. Twelve

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: Only two for now. Maybe more tonight. Maybe; not making any promises. I'm having a bit of a hard time getting plotlines… if anyone has any suggestions…?

---

Twelve

---

(occurs right before Team 10+Kakashi leave to find Hidan, and Kakuzu)

It's before dawn when Shikamaru leaves. His mother is still asleep, but his father gives him a curt nod as he walks out the door. He's planned for everything except a bored-looking Konohamaru sitting in his front yard. He had been digging at the grass with his kunai, but dropped it back into his pack when he hears the door slam. Konohamaru stood, and faced Shikamaru.

"How did you get my address?" Shikamaru asked.

Konohamaru shrugged, and patted the dirt from his pants. "Stole your file from Hokage Mansion."

"What do you want?" One hand gripped Asuma's lighter. He contemplated having a cigarette; it was much too early to be dealing with this.

Konohamaru stared at the mangled bit of dirt, and grass at his feet. "You're going after them, right?" he asked. After a moment he forced his gaze to gradually ascend. He was staring Shikamaru in the eye now. "The guys who…"

"Yes."

"Let me come with you." It wasn't a question. For one brief second, Konohamaru's expression was that of a serious ninja. But then he blushed slightly under Shikamaru's scrutiny, and began scuffing his shoe on the grass, and it was gone.

"No." Shikamaru said flatly. "I'm not going to be responsible for some eleven-year-old punk."

"I'm twelve," Konohamaru argued. "Besides, I'm Sarutobi Konohamaru, and I'm--"

"Not going," Shikamaru said.

"Bu--" Shikamaru ignored whatever stupid argument came next. He was too busy to worry about the brat.

---

I hope that you liked these. Like I said earlier, hopefully more soon. If anyone has any suggestions, or ideas, I'm always open to them! (But in case you haven't realised, I kind of suck at romance, so...)


	70. Hug

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: I should really be working on my paper for Italian, but... I feel bad for making you all wait so long--! End of school, exams, and all that, you know?  
A/N2: It also took a while, since I was having a hard time with Konohamaru's mom. She was getting a bit too frantic at first when I was trying to write these chs.; I like her character better now.

---

Hug

---

Konohamaru's mom was filing paperwork when he got home. She looked up when she heard the door close, smiling before she returned to her work. Konohamaru sat down across from her, and attempted to read the upside-down lettering. His mom looked up at him. "Something wrong, Konohamaru?" she asked.

Konohamaru shrugged; his mom didn't look convinced. They were silent for almost a minute before he spoke. "Why do you hate Shikamaru?"

His mom sighed. "I don't hate him."

"But Ebisu said you were 'concerned'."

She smiled feebly. Her papers lay forgotten on the table. "I'm concerned," she said, "because he's one of the top ninja of his age group." Konohamaru raised an eyebrow at her. She continued, her voice almost a whisper: "I don't want him to... to convince you to go on a mission you aren't ready for." Her lip trembled, and she looked like she was holding back tears. "I... I don't want to... lose you."

Konohamaru couldn't look at her, so he directed his gaze down at his hands. "I tried to go with when they went after Akatsuki..." he admitted. "But Shikamaru wouldn't let me."

Konohamaru's eyes itched. He blinked quickly, and looked up. His mom was directing a half-hearted glare his way. "That was stupid of you," she said simply. She was smiling slightly, and didn't look as much like she was going to cry.

Konohamaru tried to smile; it felt a bit forced, though. "You worry too much. I'm almost thirteen, you know."

His mom laughed at that. She stood up, and walked over to his side of the table, bending down to hug him. "I'm a mom, it's my job to worry about you."

"You don't have to worry so much," Konohamaru whispered. "I don't think he'll ever want me to go on missions with him." He cringed; his voice sounded really childish.

His mom kissed him on the forehead, and sat back down at her side of the table. "Could you have him come by some day? I'd like to speak to him."

Konohamaru nodded.


	71. Attitude

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: This is really short, but it explains the other bit of 'Concern', and I thought that you guys needed something light after the previous ch...  
A/N2: Whoops! Somehow the changes I made didn't save... This is the _real_ ch. 71... Sorry ^_^' (Why is it that the only time I make mistakes is when I don't re-check everything...?) Thanks to top for pointing it out~!

---

Attitude

---

Later that night, while Konohamaru was watching television with his mom, he remember the other part of his conversation with Ebisu. During the next commercial, he looked over at his mom. "What about Shikamaru's 'attitude problem'?" he asked.

His mom raised an eyebrow at him. "What?"

Konohamaru shrugged. "Ebisu-sensei said that you were concerned that I was going to catch Shikamaru's attitude problem."

His mom shrugged. "I didn't say that. It must have been Ebisu..." She smirked. "Besides," she added. "You already have an attitude problem."

Konohamaru, and his mom missed the end of the program they were watching; they were too busy laughing.


	72. Promise

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: I 3 Moegi; I think I need to include her more...

---

Promise

---

Shikamaru stood, leaning on a tree near the training grounds. He had a fairly unobstructed view of Team Ebisu. He didn't think they could see him, though.

Konohamaru, it looked, was whining at Ebisu about something. Moegi punched him, and dragged him off to spar with her. Shikamaru smiled. Konohamaru was really just a kid. Sometimes he forgot that.

He had just returned from talking with Sarutobi Hanako. The other day, Konohamaru had awkwardly announced that his mom wanted to talk to Shikamaru. He hadn't known what to expect when he met with her. But she seemed surprisingly nice for how strangely Konohamaru was acting. He had been expecting someone like his own mom: strict, and overbearing. Hanako was… really nice to him.

She asked about his family, about the missions he'd gone on. She seemed particularly interested in the missions he'd led. Bu her attitude changed slightly when Konohamaru was brought up. (Shikamaru can't remember who mentioned Konohamaru first.) She became serious, and just a little frightening.

Her words still reverberated in his head:

__

"Promise me you'll look after him."

"I will."

Shikamaru pushed himself upright, and headed toward Kurenai's house.


	73. Diapers

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: The idea for this ch. is courtesy top; thanks for the amazing ideas~! I'll include more in later chs.

---

Diapers

---

The baby was crying. Not just a few sniffles, but really break-your-eardrums wailing. Kurenai was gone. She had run out to get a few things at the store: formula, diapers, Konohamaru had stopped paying attention after that.

He looked over to Shikamaru. "What's wrong with it?" he asked.

Shikamaru looked equally confused. He shrugged. "Maybe it's hungry...?" he suggested.

They tried to give the baby a bottle. Konohamaru had to duck to avoid being hit in the head as the baby tossed it away. It wouldn't stop crying. Konohamaru felt like his head might explode if it didn't stop soon.

They tried everything they could think of: toys, water, more toys, Konohamaru even tried to use henge no jutsu to turn into Kurenai. But nothing worked. The baby still cried.

After almost half an hour of solid wailing, Konohamaru just barely heard the sound of the front door opening. "We can't get it to stop crying," he told Kurenai.

Kurenai was standing in the doorway; her arms were filled with two heaping bags of groceries. She glanced over at the baby, and back to the two boys. "She needs her diaper changed. Would you boys mind taking care of that for me?" she asked sweetly.

Konohamaru, and Shikamaru exchanged disgusted looks. Shikamaru nodded reluctantly.

---

Thank you for reading these. I hope you enjoyed them. I'm sorry about the wait... As always, I'd love to hear what you thought, and if you have any ideas for what you'd like to see in the future, I'm always open to new ideas~!

(Also, I have no shame; I'm pimping out two of my other fics. If anyone likes Sasuke, and/or Juugo, you should read 'Myopia', and its sequal 'Second'. They're all about Sasuke going blind, and Juugo being really sweet...)


	74. Birthday

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: I kind of like it when Konohamaru acts completely spastic... The birthday idea is courtesy top; thanks again~!  
A/N2: spell-check thinks 'Tsunade' should be spelled 'Sundae'... I just noticed that...

---

Birthday

---

Shikamaru was so intent on breaking this code he only now heard Konohamaru's voice invading his head. "Hello? Hello? Hellooooo~?"

Shikamaru sighed, and looked over to Konohamaru. "What?"

Konohamaru looked vaguely affronted. He recovered quickly, however. "Guess what happens in three days?" he asked.

Shikamaru shrugged. "Tsunade's going to give me a day off," he said absently.

Konohamaru frowned. "No..." He tried to peek at the code Shikamaru was working on. Shikamaru closed the folder, and rested an arm over it. "I'm turning thirteen."

"Really?" Shikamaru asked. He didn't know why he was asking. Maybe because he didn't know how else to respond.

Konohamaru nodded until his hair was flopping every which way. "Yeah. So you better get me a good birthday present," he said.

Shikamaru shrugged. "We'll see..."


	75. Present

Title: Shadow  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: not focused on any one ship, but there may be background ones.  
Rating: pg  
Summary: Shikamaru discovers that he has two shadows now: his own, and Konohamaru. Little vignettes about the evolution of their friendship.  
Disclaimer: It doesn't say "Masashi Kishimoto" on my underwear, that must mean that I don't own Naruto... merde.  
A/N: (I think Konohamaru might have ADD...) here's a bit more Moegi, but I'm trying to get ideas to give her a speaking part coming up soon.

---

Present

---

Today was Konohamaru's birthday, and, for some reason, Shikamaru found himself in Konohamaru's house. He was sitting at the table with Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon. Hanako was in the kitchen putting candles in Konohamaru's cake.

Moegi was chatting happily with Udon, while Udon wore a serious look like he was making a great effort to understand her talk of girl-stuff.

(Shikamaru had tried to escape the inanity of it all by helping Hanako with the cake, but she quickly shooed him out of the kitchen.)

After a moment in which Konohamaru pulled a string loose from his scarf, stared at the wall, and tapped a song on the table, Shikamaru took a small, rectangular and crudely wrapped package from his vest pocket, and set it in front of Konohamaru. He didn't say anything. Birthdays were always intensely awkward things in his opinion; he never celebrated his own.

"What's this?" Konohamaru asked, carefully scrutinising the package. He poked it, as if he were expecting it to house a bomb.

"Open it," Shikamaru said.

Konohamaru made short work of the wrappings. There were little bits of tape, and paper on the table when he'd finished. He shot Shikamaru an incredulous look. "A book on shogi?"

"Yeah." Shikamaru shrugged. "No offence, but you still suck at it."

Konohamaru smirked. There was a challenging glint in his eye. "Just wait," Konohamaru said. "I'm going to read this book, and then I'll kick your ass at shogi." Unfortunately, Konohamaru's excitement got the better of him, and he ended up saying this much louder than he'd intended.

"Watch your language, Konohamaru," Hanako called from the kitchen. Konohamaru blushed. Moegi interrupted her monologue at Udon so that they could both snicker at Konohamaru.

Shikamaru smirked.

---

Yay, two more chs. for today~! I hope you liked these. As always, reviews are amazing, and make my day (not to mention they make me more motivated...) Thank you so much for reading~!


End file.
